The Zorro Legacy
by angelofjoy
Summary: Joaquin De La Vega is anxious to take over in his fathers crusade but there is still something standing in his way. He must learn to juggle his double life and how to love as both men.
1. Prologue

Chapter 1: Prologue.

It is hard to tell what the test of time will do to a person; let alone a country. The actions of men are not always justifiable, and there will always be hatred and anger. All throughout history man has been hungry for power and has discriminated against whatever was different and unknown.

So was the case in the New World. A country undiscovered and untamed, where ancient civilizations and colonizing empires came together like the crashing of the waves and the flashing of lightning. The destruction and turmoil caused the weak to disappear into history and the strong and the powerful to carry on into the future. The people that survived the colonization were enslaved by the settlers and made to work for very little. Many worked and died in the fields; earning scarcely enough to feed their families. But, as luck would have it, many were able to assimilate to the colonial mindset and so they were able to get on in the world.

Once a part of the Spanish claims, California had been run by the same kind of government as Mexico and Spain. Many of the people that came to live in California show traits of the ancient people of Mezzo America and the Spanish settlers. Soon children of their descendents came to lead the country under rule of Mexico and Spain.

As the American continent moved into modernity, the leaders, the Dons of California, moved along with progress. They had taken the steps to break away from the grips of the Spanish and the Mexican governments that had held them so tightly for so long. The people of California voted to join the United States of America, even with civil wars raging between the states and the people of California rejoiced. It was not the end of the problems that the people would have to face but a brand new beginning.

In the years following the vote, change was gradual. The influence of the state guards would have to move into California and the old mindset of the former rulers and old families would have to adapt to the change in climate. Still, the prosperity of the United States was alluring and many still flocked from all over the world to settle in America. California became a multicultural brewing pot for Mexican and Spanish settles trying to escape dictatorial rule.

The cities were in transition from the power of the Dons to the government of the state. The Dons remained key figures in the running of the state and as leading men in the aristocracy as they knew the land and the people that were in their employment. Hope for the future was high and yet, the lowest of citizens had not been touched by any of the goodness and charity they had been promised. The growth in population made it even harder for those hoping for prosperity to find it. It was not easy for the people of the South Western American.

The struggle to find balance in an ever changing world, where good and evil are had to distinguish is where this story begins, with the lives of two men fighting to live a life of wealth and privilege but working for a country that was full of discrimination and poverty.


	2. The Young Master

Chapter 2: The Young Master.

"It is not for want of power or position, but that of respect and gratitude that the people of California are unhappy, uneducated, and completely..." Joaquin de la Vega prattled on without feeling and in a state of utter annoyance.

"You must present this speech with much more enthusiasm, Joaquin, or no one will understand the meaning behind it," his father, Alejandro, scolded.

"But there is no point to this, it is for no purpose at all but to complete a requirement for some silly thing called education, an education I do not need," Joaquin groaned as he tossed the speech across the table and placed his forehead on the cold surface.

"How is it not of any purpose? It is exactly what we have been fighting for," Alejandro stated and he paced the length of the dining room in their well furbished hacienda.

"It is what you fight for," Joaquin said not raising his head from the table, "I, who have already finished my preliminary education, have no desire to continue. I would like to work more closely with the people but I am forced to study politics, philosophy, literature and Latin. Against my will, I might add. I will never be a politician or a philosopher, nor do I plan to sit around academia prattling on about Milton and Chaucer using every Latin verb I can remember to pass my time. None of this is relevant to what is really going on at the social level of our society, nor does it deliver any ideas or solutions for the problems that many are suffering from, so why is this relevant to anything that is in my future?" he asked.

"But it is what you are being trained for, my son. Joaquin, you want so desperately to take my place when you are older. To make a grand difference in this world means that you need to know how the family business works and how politics and philosophy are at the root of our secret. You need to put on the face of an aristocrat and be able to 'prattle on' as gentlemen do to keep out secret. The country will always need Zorro. This will always be our crusade," Alejandro said as he took a seat near to his son.

"Ah, yes, but as we are never speaking of 'our' secret to the public I believe I should not make such a speech, to draw attention to myself, as it could blow 'your' cover," Joaquin said more forcefully then he meant.

"I believe you are just being lazy. You know very well there is far more to the cover and the understanding of my tasks, than you would like to give credit. If there wasn't, I would be living in poverty and so would you with only my mask and my horse to keep the legend alive." Alejandro said very forcefully now.

"You who were nothing but a thief before grandfather came along," Joaquin spat back.

"You are very lucky you have been trained for this all your life, Joaquin, and yet you are at a disadvantage. You do not know the toils I went through, you do not know how people of poverty suffer. Perhaps it would be better for you to be out in the world without a penny and then, perhaps you will understand what really comes with being Zorro," His father said as he walked toward the door.

"Maybe if I didn't have to do all this ridiculous schooling and was able to be out in the world I would know what it is like. I can sympathize better with the people if I am among the people. You know very well that my skills are matching yours in battle. Let me out then, to learn my own way," Joaquin hissed at his father.

"You are far from ready, my son; your grandfather would be the first to tell you that. He was a very well educated man, and I have taken it upon myself to become educated and I did when I had the means and power to do so. You have been handed it now and you will thank me when you realize just how lucky you have been," Alejandro smirked and walked out the dining room, "don't let your mother catch you, in your fit of laziness either. She is much more a tyrant when it comes to matters of her son's upbringing," he shouted over his shoulder as he passed his wife in the hall and winked in her direction.

"My son, what toils are you presenting to your father, to have him call me a tyrant?" Elena asked as she stepped into the dining room, her gown brushing softly on the floor, "it is not this speech again. You will say it and mean it or there will be no swordplay. And I mean that young man."

"I am not as young as you would have me be anymore, mother, I should be able to make my own decision," he sighed.

"Oh but you may, if you do not wish to do this anymore. You may choose to stop, but be warned I make many decision myself and if you do not complete the education of a gentleman then you will not be Zorro. As your mother I would prefer not to see you in danger of any kind and so it would be of great relief to me to tell your father to find a new, more deserving, and far more serious protégée," Elena said a she pulled the dead blossoms out of a large flower arrangement that sat on the table.

"You would never," Joaquin cried feeling very angry.

"Oh I would," she smiled sweetly, "don't be mistaken in the least. Your father and I are not as old as you would wish us to be and are very capable of carrying on our crusade until another young man of courage and charm can be found, and trained."

"Fine, I'll work on it. I'll stay in school and finish my education, but I still do not see what the point in all this is if I am not to have any other profession but being Zorro. I can learn the ways of the Dons by following father, why should I be a philosopher?" Joaquin whined though he was far too old for this sort of nonsense.

"You know full well you must go to school, you must be well learned. If you do not take heed of the education you can now gain in California you can bet we will ship you off to Spain," Elena said angrily, "and your father will just have to continue to be Zorro forever."

"Now look, you send your mother into hysterics," Alejandro said as he rejoined them in the dining room.

"He is your son," Elena scolded as he came back.

"No, no, no, I'll not take all the blame here," Alejandro said shaking his head.

"If only the people of California could see their hero now," Joaquin laughed as he stood and walked over to his father, "for you father are not so menacing or convincing without your mask." he said as he towered over his father.

"You come back and finish that speech," Alejandro yelled after his son but was given no response in return.

Alejandro had been right in his assumption that California would always be in need, or at least for the present, of a hero such as Zorro. Even with the prospect of California becoming a state, it would take time and settlements. And so it was that his duty, as he had begun to believe was to carry on in his secret life in two worlds. The years passed, however, and his wife and son kept his secret as their own. He began to realize that it would soon be time for his son, now eighteen, to learn the ways of their family curse.

Joaquin de la Vega had always been like his father and once he had been brought into the family secret he had always made it his purpose in life to achieve what his father had and what his mother and father wanted for him. He was very determined in the things he believed in. He had taken to his fathers training with as much dedication and passion as Alejandro did before him. But it had been a very long time that Joaquin had wanted to follow in those footsteps. He had the street smarts that his father had and the good looks and charms that his mother had and when, by accident, his mother caught him in Zorro's full costume she knew that it was more apart of him than any of them wanted to believe.

It was very true that Joaquin was very spoiled by his mother and father. They had given him every luxury a boy could have asked for and yet he was a wild spirit. He never remained at home, he always snuck out and had been witness to more of Zorro's battles then his parents knew off. They often assumed that Joaquin did not have the knowledge of the poor and downcast as Alejandro did, but it was not the truth. Many a nights he had spend roaming the streets and observing. It was far more then any lecturer could have taught him and yet, even though he fussed over his forced education he was a brilliant scholar. He argues and debated with the best of the professors and understood, very deeply, the problems that face the new state of California.

He had also learned much from his father, not only in his training to be Zorro but of his generous nature. He had watched his father turn over money and property to the unfortunate and, as such, Alejandro de la Vega was well respected as a benevolent landlord. The farms and the trades men under Alejandro's watch were happy and repaid whatever they could without ever worrying about the when or how. They sold their own goods and gained much of the profits that came off of the land. For the most part Alejandro only used the money he absolutely had to use. He continued to invest it in his land and in the obtaining of more land to keep his tenants busy and the crops plentiful. On many occasions, though it was frowned on by the other men of the nobility, Alejandro had taken Joaquin into the fields and had worked along side his workers. The work was hard but very rewarding and Joaquin quite understood the power that they did have.

Unfortunately Joaquin was torn, in some ways, by the double life his father lived. The work of Zorro was for the people. To bring justice and prosperity to those that deserved it and to show that the powerful were not always right. Yet there was the alter ego. Alejandro worked and lived as a Don, keeping property and living as an aristocrat should. Poverty was still very serious and unfairness to the lesser people of the state was a problem caused by the aristocracy. It was on this point and this point alone that he did not agree with his father. He did not want to be a member of such a social group as those that discriminated against the poor, even though his father was very fair to his tenants and the people that worked for him were very happy, Joaquin felt like he was being hypocritical to be employing the poor as they did and continuing on in a way that caused discrimination. He didn't understand how his father could live this way, knowing his past and how poverty had affected his life, but Joaquin didn't have a solution to this problem either. He didn't know how he could be Zorro and be influential without being a member of the aristocracy.

But alas, his parents did not see it in that light, he had a passion for trouble when it presented itself and though he was maturing very rapidly and all the seriousness of his duty were very prevalent, they still questioned his motives. As it was, he was too much like his father, a terrible flirt and always in want of the attention of the young ladies. With this knowledge Alejandro had to keep a very watchful eye on his son. Never had they ever thought to arrange for Joaquin to settle down, it would be for him to fall in love and choose a bride, as Alejandro did. They only hoped that he would be so lucky. They did, however, bring many young ladies into Joaquin's society. He found many of the young ladies quite boring and unadventurous. They wished to sit in parlors and sip tea, whereas, Joaquin needed a woman of as much passion as himself. He kept to the strong, uneducated woman of the lower class. They knew how to work, they were strong and unafraid, but he knew that they would not do for his position and his cause. But he was still young, in his own eyes; there would be plenty of time to choose a wife when life was no longer as exciting as youth made it. He would marry a woman of wealth and simplicity when he no longer had a lust for the life he was now living.


	3. A Double Life

Chapter 3: A Double Life

It was a fact that Alejandro de la Vega had devoted his life to the poor and the powerless. His life as Zorro had given him many advantages over his adversary and yet he was a public figure. Many men and woman worked under his watchful eye and were grateful to have such a benevolent land lord. It was his wife's estate as it had once belonged to her father, but he did run it as if it was his own and it would be passed on to Joaquin. He did, in deed and word, live a double life with the same purpose, for everything that he did was for the benefit of others and he knew and understood, better than his son, that the people were grateful for the work and the independence that he gave them while still protecting them from many of the dangers that the changing world present. If he, as Zorro, could not provide for them a way to succeed and become prosperous then de la Vega would.

The people under him were prosperous and happy. They made their living by the fields and by trade but they were the lucky ones. There were still more people in California living in poverty, hardly able to feed their families and to those people Zorro devoted his life. He knew that he would not be able to fight every battle and chose, very carefully, which ones Zorro fought and which Alejandro took on as his own business. It wasn't unnatural to find more and more people coming into his employment by any means and he spent much of his disposable income on acquiring more lands and creating more independent workers and communities as he could.

It wasn't just the people who suffered but the land itself. There were so many people that there just wasn't enough food or land to produce and cultivate what was needed. It was a sad truth to see people dying still when the world was shrinking so quickly. But Alejandro had a good sized piece of land to his name, and was always putting whatever money he could into obtaining and leasing land to whoever wished for work. Many a family praised him for his kindness and repaid him tenfold when the crops were good or their goods were in high demand but there were years when the crops did not prosper, when drought and cold caused the fields to produce very little but Alejandro was prepared to help his tenants. Much of the harvests were sold in the markets and the prices were good, but in years of little his stocks and his store houses were filled with enough to help his family and the families that worked under him. He did not mind going with less if it meant feeding many.

When Alejandro was not working with the people and for the people he was training. Long hours were spent in constant practice or with his son. He could never allow himself to rest; it was not possible for him to slip here and there. Being Zorro was too dangerous and he was constantly reminded of his age as his battle got harder and fiercer as the years passed. He knew he would not always be able to protect the people but for now it was his duty. Soon it would be up to his son to keep the legend.

Joaquin had become as adapted as his father had, but his mind was with the heroism not the nobility and the consequence of the situation. It was what he had long strived for but was still out of his reach. There were times when he made advancements, to his father's pleasure, but he was still young and his actions and lust brought him in different direction. He still had to learn the difference between duty and desire. It would take a lot for him to realize that there were more people counting on him than he knew about and more hard work to tackle with his mind, rather than the sword. He didn't yet have the patients to do what the legend demanded.

Elena was not left out of the business. She trained and worked very closely with the people under her husband. She had seen the terrors of poverty and had been at the right hand of Zorro to fight for good. She too believed that Joaquin was not ready, that the dangers of his youth were still to strong. It had long been her greatest fear to see her son in his fathers shadow but she knew that it must be.

On nights that they trained Alejandro had no pity for his son. He worked him relentlessly, to the point of absolute exhaustion but it was this that would teach him discipline and endurance. He had to learn to fight; he would fight long and hard and there would be no time to take a break. He had to learn to be witty; to use his mind before his sword and his words before his fists. His father had always told him it would not be an easy road to follow.

"You have to fight longer and harder then anyone and watch to see who rest. It is unacceptable should you stop before your opponent. It will be the defining line between life and death, and you must always be thinking. Think like your opponent, imagine what he would he imagining. You cannot underestimate anyone ever," he yelled as his son as they fought each other, sweat rolling down Joaquin's face, "keep going, there will be no stopping until you disarm me," he yelled still and fought with all his might.

Finally Joaquin was able to out maneuver his father and gain his sword. The moment Alejandro had surrendered Joaquin fell to the floor. His heart beat hard in his chest, he could not catch his breath and yet he was pleased with himself.

"I suggest you retire for the night," Alejandro stated as he helped his son back to his feet, "we'll pick this up again tomorrow night after your studies. Then we'll see if you can beet me without me letting you."

"You let me win?" Joaquin growled, anger in his voice as he threw the sword back at his father, "no, I'll not finish like that, en garde, we'll stop when I have really won."

"No," Alejandro laughed, "you've had enough for one night."

Reluctantly Joaquin stormed away from his father and out of his sight. He passed his mother in the passage that lead from the underground lair and she smiled pitying him, "your father has angered you, my son, what has he done now."

"He let me win," Joaquin grumbled as he walked passed her.

Elena giggled a little at her poor, exhausted son and walked on to find her poor exhausted husband.

Alejandro had taken a seat by the fire that lit most of the dark cave. It was a quiet place but an ancient place all the same. Elena entered and walked to her husband's side. He reached out to her before he had ever seen her and she ran to him.

"You must stop telling him that you let him win," she giggled as he kissed her neck.

"It is the only way to keep him motivated," Alejandro whispered.

"Sometimes I tell myself you are to hard on him, and then I remember the toils we have seen and I believe you are not hard enough. Will it ever be unafraid for either of you?" she asked quietly.

"It breaks my heart to know that I pain you so, but you know that I must," Alejandro said as he looked lovingly into his wife's eyes.

"I know it is my curse," Elena answered as she sighed.

"It belongs to all of us," Alejandro sighed, "and our son wants it more then anything."

"Do you think he is ready for it?" she asked.

"I am not sure, what would your father say?" he asked.

Elena giggled, "You are the one who knew him better then I," she said.

"No, I meant Don Raphael," Alejandro laughed, "would it be proper?"

"In that case, absolutely not," Elena giggled.

"I thought not," he smiled thoughtfully.

They sat for a long time in silence, enjoying each other until Elena broke the silence again.

"It is strange that you would talk of Raphael," she said as she pulled a letter free of the folds of her gown, "I've news from Spain and France," she handing him the letter.

"Who, may I ask do you know in France," Alejandro asked as he eyed the letter suspiciously.

"It was from a woman I had never met but I did attend school in Paris with her son in law. It seems that he has passed tragically leaving a daughter the fortune he had. The old woman, her grandmother on her mothers side, is the legal guardian of the girl and wishes to bring her here via Spain to become acquainted with the new world."

"And what of the woman's character?" Alejandro asked.

"I know little of either of them. The young woman is probably proper as her mother was but I dare say she may have the wild side of her father. The grandmother I know nothing of, how she obtained my information must only be from the estate my dear friend left behind him," she answered.

"And what are you to do about it?" Alejandro asked as he finished reading the letter.

"Well, as you can see she comes into California, perhaps it would be good for Joaquin's society to be introduced to a young woman of her wealth and disposition. Someone who has never lived in California and is more educated in an old world ideal and value."

"And what disposition is that?" he asked.

"How should I know," Elena laughed argumentatively.

"I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to throw our son into the path of a wealthy young woman," Alejandro said.

"But we must not let him know that we are doing this. He is too rebellious to see it in the way that we would want. He would blame us for forcing a marriage on him," Elena said.

"Are we expecting them to marry?" Alejandro asked.

"Perhaps," she answered, "we will leave it to Joaquin."

"If she is a young lady of wealth, Joaquin is more likely to ignore her all together rather then waist his time," Alejandro sighed, "We know this from experience."

"I was a lady of wealth and you were just like your son and look at you now," She whispered playfully into his ears.

"Yes but you, my dear, are not like any other woman in the world," he answered her and they retired together to their bedchamber.


	4. The Sea Side

Chapter 4: The Sea Side.

The ships arrived all through the night and well into the morning. It was a very busy place, the port of California. Merchant ships were still coming and going between the New World and the old. Navel ships patrolled and protected as the pirate threat was still quite prevalent in the western waters. The grand ships caused great crowds to gather with excitement. The white sails, of the queens of the ocean, still dancing in the wind like maidens in the sky and the songs of the wave's beet against the ships in a rhythm that only the tide could keep, bringing an old enchantment to the port and the people that worked within it. It was like a magic was at work among the bright young ships and the wise old vessels. It was an exciting place for all. The men who had spent months at sea were happy to set foot on the ground and see what the New World had to offer. The old sailors were always impressed to see all the glory that the oceans could bring into port and the new stories of adventure and freedom on the waves. The young men with salt in their blood and ambitions in their minds, whose hearts lived on the waves, longed for the moment they could set the shore behind them and reach out to grab the distant and unknown horizon.

Joaquin stood impatiently by the carriage that had brought himself and his parents to the port. Looking out at the dock, Alejandro and Elena had decided to take a stroll up and down the boardwalk to visit with the merchants at the tents and see to the business of their tenants. Joaquin was not as interested in it as his parents and stayed behind. Why he had agreed to come in the first place, he did not know, and with every passing moment he was getting more and more annoyed with himself. He almost believed that memorizing speeches and reading Milton would be much more enjoyable than watching the ships come and go. He was already tired and felt so very over dressed to be parading about the docks.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" he asked himself as he leaned heavily against the carriage.

One of the horses turned and looked questioningly at him.

"Yeah, I know, we should be doing something much more heroic then standing here and waiting for the tide to come in."

The horse snorted at him in agreement and looked back to the road.

Suddenly, Alejandro's steward walked briskly up the boardwalk and stopped bowing, slightly, before Joaquin.

"What is it Antonio?" Joaquin asked looking at the ground.

"The Master and the Mistress request that you join them on the peer," Antonio said and bowed again.

"Can you tell them I have run away and shall never return?" Joaquin almost whispered.

"I could, senor, but your father has already anticipated that and he has instructed me to tell you that he would find you, and you will join them whether you like it or not," Antonio smiled.

"Fine, take me to them," Joaquin said and sulked all the way down the boardwalk.

Joaquin arrived, moments later, dragging his feet, his hands in his trouser pockets, next to his smiling, happy parents.

"Well done Antonio," Alejandro said to his steward and waved him off.

"Stand up straight," Elena said not even looking at her son, "you are a gentleman of society, remember that and present yourself as such."

Joaquin sighed, but did as he was told.

Standing next to his father, Joaquin was nearly identical to Alejandro although visibly younger. Though he was a few inches taller, he looked just as his father had in his youth. The only difference in their situation was that he was truly a young man of wealth and privilege and Alejandro had not brought up as a nobleman. Joaquin showed all the signs of his fathers handsome and troublesome past, masked by the tell tale signs of wealth and breading. The three of them did portray the image of a well bread noble family. Even though he hated it, Joaquin knew it was his duty and as they were always being watched and criticized by the rest of the upper class he was proud to show of his wealth and station. He did like the attention he got but found being on the boardwalk not the place to be attracting the kind of romantic attention that he was used to.

"Can you tell me again, mother, why I am here?" Joaquin asked as he and his father both bowed to one of the Dons as he passed.

"You are here to meet some old acquaintances of mine," Elena smiled at the passing Don.

"Mother, if this is an old school acquaintance of yours, I see no reason why I should not have waited at the hacienda to greet you as you returned," Joaquin whispered through his fake smile.

"No, I though it was best that you meet the young lady yourself, as she is to be a new acquaintance of all of ours," Elena smiled as she finally turned to look at her son and reached out to straighten the lapel of his costume.

"Young lady," Joaquin asked, looking down into his mothers eyes.

"Yes, the daughter of my acquaintance. He passed away and soon after so did his wife and they have left their daughter both of their past fortunes. She will be accompanied by her grandmother, on her mother's side. I do not technically know either of them," she whispered and smiled at her son.

Joaquin sighed emphatically as he relaxed his stance, "mother, this isn't some crazy match making idea of yours is it?"

"Of course not," Elena stated, "I was contacted by the grandmother to acquaint them with the United States and California in particular. The young lady, though well traveled through Europe, has yet to set foot on American soil."

"Bringing old money into California has never been good for us," Joaquin said, looking to his father.

"I am optimistic this time, my son," Alejandro smiled.

"That is because you want to see good in everyone, but that isn't always the case, Father," Joaquin sighed.

"Everyone, no matter their position of economic status or wealth, should be given equal treatment and the benefit of the doubt," Alejandro stated, "besides what is an old woman and a young lady of wealth going to do?"

"Don't underestimate the gentler sex," Joaquin said.

"I would never," Alejandro smiled at his wife.

"And besides, this will be good for you, son," Elena smiled, "perhaps you'll find something in the young lady you have yet to find in anyone here."

"This is a match making plot!" Joaquin huffed angrily.

"Even if it was a match making plot, which it isn't, you should take advantage of the foreign girls, they are always full of life and excitement," Alejandro said looking lovingly at his wife.

"You forget, my love, I was born on this continent," Elena whispered in her husband's ear.

"I didn't me you," he whispered playfully.

"Oh you scoundrel!" she giggled.

"Yes, I was born a scoundrel and a rogue," Alejandro whispered back, "you were still far to good for me."

Joaquin rolled his eyes and looked away from his parents.


	5. The Elderly Chaperone

Chapter 5: The Elderly Chaperone

The sun was rising higher and higher in the morning sky as the De La Vegas stood on the boardwalk. It was getting busier as the morning drew on. The motions of the merchants were exciting, things were moving in and out of their shops and the street venders were successfully selling their products. There were all kinds of goods to be found from fruits and vegetables, to metal works, tapestries and jewelry. The noise was growing louder as more people came out to the small market. It was a joy to see the happiness and the prosperity of some of the people and the De La Vegas took pride in having a hand in many of the merchant's success, whether it was through their property or if they had in some way been assisted by Zorro.

The ships sailed into the port round the clock and the ships lined the docks at all times. They were never the same ships as the previous day and all the time new and exciting things were being lowered off the ship. The sails still flew in the wind like clouds in the sky and the men of the sea were happy to bring the ships to port. It had been many months for many of the men and they were happy to set foot on solid ground and become reacquainted with the luxuries of the fresh produce that they had so long been without. The happy noise of the small, sea side market was getting louder as more and more ships began to unload their cargo and release their workers to life on land.

It wasn't long before Joaquin became increasingly annoyed with his situation and pestered his parents to return to the carriage and home to the hacienda, where they could get out of the scorching sun. After a scolding from his mother he let the subject die and remarked on how incredibly warm the day was becoming for that time of the year.

"Must you be so...so...inappropriate?" Elena asked silencing her son once more, "You are too old for all of this wining."

"Do you have any idea as to what they look like, my dear?" Alejandro asked trying to change the subject, but he too was getting impatient and began to feel the heat that was descending upon the port.

"I am not sure," Elena answered, "but I do believe they are the only women sailing on that particular ship and so it should not be difficult to tell."

They fell into a silence with each other once again, until finally, a tall, beautiful woman appeared from one of the deck cabins and began to make her way toward the gangplank. She looked uneasily down the gangplank and around the dock before she visibly sighed, patted her face with a handkerchief and stepped down from the ship. She was a shapely looking woman, young and strong. She showed the signs of a well learned fighter but the gentleness and the mystery of a courtier. She was soon followed by a rather elderly but still very able woman, whose demanding presence put the young, beautiful, lady into her, obedient, and submissiveness.

The girl had caught Joaquin's eye as she appeared on the deck and he had a rise of hope for a rather interesting acquaintance, until he noticed how obedient and proper the girl became in the presence of the old woman.

"As I suspected, "he sighed to himself and looked away from the ship.

The young woman, led by her grandmother, walked regally down the boardwalk and came to a stop just before the De La Vegas. Once all the formalities were observed and introductions were made, they made their way back down the boardwalk, toward the De La Vegas carriage. The young woman walked along silently, never smiling, in deep though and watching the ground as they walk.

Joaquin sighed at the sight of the woman now. She was closer to him, he could have reach out and touched her, but there was nothing to invite his eye to linger on her. She was of good stature, and beautiful by all means of the word but she was quiet, shy and very obedient to her grandmothers demand. When she was told to speak she spoke, when she was told to walk she walked and when ever she was left to herself she stared off into, what seemed like nothing at all. He knew that she would still be in a state of deep morning but not to the point she would mask what was written all over her strong young body. She was being forced to push something away from herself. He only wished he could tell what and why she was so obedient to the old woman.

"Madame Gaverte, I am under the impression, you have taken lodgings in the city," Elena said, addressing the grandmother, as she motioned to Joaquin to offer his arm to the young woman.

Joaquin frowned at his mother, but put on a smile for the young lady, bowed and she took his arm. Her grip was stronger then he had imagined it to be, but her countenance was far away. She stared off, away at the sea and didn't listen to the words of her grandmother, but followed like a well trained dog.

"I have, we do not know how long we will be stating in California and plan to see as many of the states as possible," Madame Gaverte stated pleasantly.

Joaquin felt the girls grip tighten once again, as her grandmother spoke, but the second he looked at her she looked away from the conversation and nearly released his arm all together. Puzzled by her actions he too became board with the conversation and simply followed along in obedience.

"You will join us for dinner at our hacienda, wont you?" Alejandro asked as Elena nodded in approval.

"It would be our pleasure, wouldn't it Angela?" the grandmother said.

"On, um, yes, it would be a pleasure indeed," the young woman answered and regained the solitude of her own thoughts.

"I do apologize for her behaviour," Madame Gaverte whispered to Elena, "she has not been of the right mind, since her Papa passed. He was her life and she his."

"It is completely understandable," Elena said as she gave a slight turn of the head to look at Joaquin and the young woman.

"I dare say her father was a bit relaxed when it came to her upbringing. She is a wild sort of child," the grandmother said loud enough so that the girl coloured at the remark and looked at her feet.

Joaquin couldn't help but notice the young woman's distance and regard for the woman who was her legal guardian and chaperone. She looked nothing like the old woman. She looked far different from the French that he had met in the past. It wasn't in her manner that she was any different from the women of wealth he had come into acquaintance with, there was something in her eyes as she looked longingly away across the water. It was hard for him to watch, he had seen sadness like this before, but never in the eyes of a woman of wealth. This girl was heart broken in a way that would only silence her if she did not, eventually, gain her own freedom. She was, in his eyes, more poor and lonely than the men and women living in poverty all around him.

"May I be so bold as to inquire, senorita," Joaquin whispered as they walked, "have you lived long, in Paris?" he asked contemplating, very carefully his question.

"No, Monsieur," she answered softly, "only after my father passed away did we return to Paris. My mothers fortune is there as well as the estate left to her and we settled there with my grandmother as my mother fell ill herself," she whispered, "I was left under my grandmother care when my mother passed as well."

"You were not born in France?" he asked.

"Yes, born there, but my father relocated us to Spain and his property," she answered, her voice wavering with emotion.

"What are you two talking of?" the grandmother asked rudely as she witnessed their whispered conversation.

"It is nothing of consequence Madame," Angela answered and squeezed Joaquin's arm, "it was talk of this very humid weather and the monsieur's health, very innocent conversation," she said.

"Surely you could find something else to talk about," Elena giggled, "you have come to a new land and Joaquin is quite a specialist in Californian law, politics and society. Are you not, my son?"

"You have over qualified me, mother," he smiled, "but alas that is how mothers are, I am not as well versed in society as I am law and politics."

"Laws are much different here, I believe than they are in Paris or even Spain," Angela said as she tried to look away from her grandmothers condemning glare.

"That really isn't a suitable topic for a young woman to be carrying on in, now is it Angela?" the old woman spoke with harsh disdain as she looked on the girl with disgust.

"No, I suppose it is not," Angela whispered and lowered her eyes again; "I'll keep to the weather."

They walked on, Elena and Alejandro occupying the old woman and trying very hard to put some distance between them and the young woman, but the grandmother was very persistent. She remained as close as possible and Angela did not speak. Joaquin had tried to find an opening to question her further but she had fallen into a silence so thick and her every movement was that of uneasiness, that he did not try long to get her to speak again. Only when they gathered at dinner did she resume her conversations and even then it was forced small talk and praise for the meal.

When dinner had ended and their guests had been invited to return the following day, a carriage was summoned and arrived to take them to their lodgings and they left in silence once more, the grandmother looking with disgust on her granddaughter and her lack of politeness toward their hosts.

"She is a rather odd creature," Elena sighed as they reentered the hacienda after their guests had left, "she looks so very much like her father."

"Is that so," Alejandro said as he took one last look at the carriage that left them, "she is a very handsome woman. She looks to be quite a mystery."

"Oh indeed," Elena giggled.

"She is a prisoner of that woman," Joaquin spat as he walked on, "I find the grandmother, vile and completely controlling. Why did you have to invite them back again tomorrow?"

"Because it is the polite thing to do," Elena said angrily.

"Well I should not like to spend much time with them, I'd rather study," he said and walked away.

"Perhaps this is a good thing," Alejandro shrugged as he and Elena retired together.


	6. Missing Peasant

Chapter 6: Missing Peasant.

The morning dawned at the Hacienda, bright and promising, but for Joaquin, it was the prospect of another day wasted. He hated to waste his time when there were other things that interested him, at any give time. If his schoolwork seemed to be a better prospect then a day in tedious company he would choose to do the work that had been so tedious in the light of other more interesting endeavors. And he believed that a day spent in the company of the family's new acquaintance would be just that, a tedious day with useless company.

He spent his morning, much as he normally did with his father in training but as soon as he was free of that exercise he hid himself away from the light of the beautiful day with only his books and his thoughts. He ignored every attempt of his mothers to dress and come to socialize; refusing to put on a scene he simply did not want to participate in. Finally Alejandro came to him and, standing at the door, he looked into the darkness and heard only the scratching of Joaquin's quill.

"I am not coming out," Joaquin stated as he noticed his father at the door, "I've got a speech to finish and a lot of reading, so I'll not have time to associate with that vile old woman."

"That is not why I have come here," Alejandro sighed, "although that is why your mother sent me here," he said and walked into the darkness and sat down heavily in another chair.

"You don't want to associate with her either," Joaquin said with a bit of a laugh.

"I will do whatever your mother tells me I should do," Alejandro said with a mocking smile, "it is the least I could do while she puts up with my staying out all night searching the country side for trouble."

"Were you out all night?" Joaquin asked, upset that had actually slept through the night.

"Yes, the bells tolled late last night and I have been out until dawn," Alejandro answered, "I only returned as you came down for practice."

"And what was the problem this time?" Joaquin asked setting down his quill.

"Senorita Mendez has lost her son," Alejandro sighed.

"You mean Carlo, the boy who tends the sheep on one of your farms?" Joaquin asked.

"Yes, you know him?" Alejandro asked looking surprised.

"Yes, he has taught me a bit about shepherding," Joaquin lied.

"You've spent nights in the field with him, I am guessing, getting into trouble?" Alejandro laughed.

"It is better then lying awake and doing nothing all night," Joaquin sighed, "Did you find him?"

"No, I've no idea where he would have gone," Alejandro said, "I searched all night and there is no signs that he was even in the field last night."

"That is very strange," Joaquin said as he drummed his fingers on the table, "it isn't like him to leave the sheep, he is very dedicated. But if he doesn't want to be found then he won't be. He does enjoy his freedom. I'm sure he'll turn up."

"I do expect that myself," Alejandro sighed, "but that is the strange thing, the sheep were left unattended hence Senorita Mendez's worry."

"That is very odd," Joaquin said, "they didn't loose any did they?"

"No, they were rounded up quickly enough by another worker," Alejandro said.

"That isn't like Carlo at all, if he was to leave he would have left the sheep well taken care off, he knows that his mother lives off the sheep," Joaquin said as he stood and began to pace his room.

"It is all very odd," Alejandro said shaking his head.

"And yet it does not really seem like the kind of a task that should warrant Zorro's attention," Joaquin said, "surely there was something far more important that you could have spent your time on, not searching for a lost boy."

"This isn't all glory and honor, there are the days when you will be asked to be patient and deal with problems that would be better solved by others. It is just our duty, or the people see it as such, and so we do it for the people." Alejandro sighed.

"How are you going to spend the whole day with these people when you have spent the whole night out," Joaquin asked, "you must be exhausted."

"I sleep when I can and I act when I have to," Alejandro answered with a smile, "one of these days you will learn it too. There are just times when you will not rest."

"I know," Joaquin said as he walked about his room, "but it still amazes me that you are able to hide your fatigue, perhaps I really am not ready for this yet."

"You will be soon," Alejandro smiled, "you are on the right track, but I best return to your mother, I'll tell her you are up to your eye lids in philosophical thought."

"She won't leave me along for long," Joaquin sighed.

"Take the work to the cave and hide there," Alejandro whispered, "she wont dare go down there through the house with strangers about and you would be wise not to either. If you do decide to come out, if your hunger does lure you to the table, take one of the horses out before returning to the hacienda it would be better for you and would give you an excuse, the excuse I will build for our company."

"Thank you, father," Joaquin smiled and packed up his books and a riding outfit and went to leave.

"I'll try my best to occupy the women tonight," Alejandro said as he straightened his cravat.

"You are probably more qualified then I, when it comes to the minds of the noble women and their evil step mothers," Joaquin laughed.

"That shall be your next lesson, as you will have to learn how to be a gentleman in this kind of society. You have to make them believe that you are interested, all the while you keep your thoughts on other things," Alejandro smiled, "you will learn quickly, son, that it is quite an enjoyable occupation to simply observe the ridiculousness of noble women at conversation."

"If that is truly the case, father, I will not be absent all night. I will join you, then, for dinner but you may entertain for the afternoon," Joaquin smiled, "I do hope I prove to be an eager pupil in this new lesson you have devised for me."

"I am sure you will be," Alejandro laughed and left the room.

Joaquin slowly, and stealthily, found his way down into the caves below the hacienda. There he continued with his school work until he couldn't handle the work anymore and believed that the company of an old witch would be much more pleasing then another philosophic thought. He changed into his riding costume and snuck out of the cave through another passage and up to the stable to fetch his horse.

His father was quite right; a long ride was exactly what he needed to put himself in the right mind set to endure the evening's company. He stayed out on his horse until the sun began to set then made his way back to the hacienda.


	7. In The Garden

Chapter 7: In the Garden.

Riding back onto his parents' property, Joaquin realized just how much he had to protect. In the fields the workers slaved away for the minimum wage they gained by the good. One bad harvest could mean their lives. They worked hard all the time and showed great gratitude for everything that they had and they never complained about their poverty, but that is what it still was. Why could he not be grateful for what he had? One day it would be up to him to hand out the land, as he father did, and to keep the workers happy. He rode on, watched as sheep were herded back out to pasture, as cows were led in for milking. Vegetables and fruits were always being harvested. It was a simple routine that meant life or death to the poor. He watched men and women working together and he saw the wonder in their eyes.

He had never really though of his position. What he must look like in their eyes as he passed, high atop his horse, in splendid and expensive clothing, born into a world where money is no object. How they must be envious at how we waist his time prancing about and yet they are humbled by him. He felt ashamed of his station as he had before and yet they had so much respect for him. He was the son of their very benevolent land lord; the man that one day would over see them. Joaquin feared what they all thought when he passed. Were they thinking that he would one day be able to take away from them everything his father had given? It was a sad truth but how could they not think in a negative light. He at once set his mind to being as good, if not better than his father. He would be kind and helpful, he would bring them comfort when things were bad and he would never let any of them be injured or discriminated against as long as they worked on his land.

He road on until he came to the Mendez farm, Senora Mendez stepped out of the front door as he dismounted his horse and walked to her side.

"Have you seen him, senor?" she asked, her face tired and tear stained.

"No, I had come to inquire if he had returned," Joaquin said uncomfortably.

"No, no, he hasn't come, he's been taken I just know it. He has never stayed away this long. What if he is in prison, oh god, what if he is dead," she said as she began to sob again.

"The whole city knows of his disappearance, Senora, I am sure he will turn up," Joaquin said gently.

"That is exactly what your father said this morning when he came to inquire. But if Zorro could not find my son, then no one will," she sobbed.

"It is but the first day," Joaquin said as he mounted his horse again, "I assure you that everyone is looking. We will see him back on the farm soon. Do not despair. If Zorro is looking he will be found."

She bowed to him before he turned his horse to leave again and she disappeared back into the small farm house.

It was a very strange turn of events for the young man to go missing in such a way. There were no signs of a struggle and yet he had vanished, had left the sheep in the field and was gone without telling anyone. It was even stranger that Zorro had no luck in finding him, but then again, California was large in land and area, he could be anywhere.

The sun was setting quickly as Joaquin approached the house and the gardens his mother spent hours tending. He dismounted the horse as his valet stepped forward and he walked quickly into the back entrance of the garden. Still he was not ready to give up his freedom to the tedious company that awaited him. He lingered for a little, passing through the rose garden that was his mother's favorite.

On the surface everything looked so much like a well bread family and the deceiving powers of wealth covered every little secret his family kept. He walked with a cane, a top hat, and yet his father was called a bandit. To some Zorro was a menace and to other a hero but for the De La Vega family he was a shadow hidden by the mask of money. Joaquin knew that he would, one day, be hidden by this mask, more so then he already was. He had never felt like he belonged in the wealthy class, in reality he didn't, but it was a good disguise. He knew it was and though he fought to be released from the shackles of the socialized world he knew he had to give in.

His thoughts were interrupted as the swish of silk caught his ear. He turned abruptly and in defense of his privacy, fearing that somehow his secret would be revealed. There among the roses stood the young woman, alone and startled.

She was so very lovely in the setting sunlight, among the roses and the lilies. She was tall and strong. Her gown hugged every inch of her attractive body. She was a vision in blue as she stepped slowly away from him. He stepped quickly to catch up to her.

"I am very sorry, Monsieur," She said lowering her eyes to the ground, "I was assured I would not be disturbing anyone here."

"It is completely my fault Senorita," he said with a slight bow as he removed his top hat, "I do apologies for my lack of civility today. I just could not be kept from the outdoors on such a beautiful day. I hope my absence was not offensive."

"Not at all, Monsieur," she said never taking her eyes off the ground, "it is quite a beautiful day. The weather seems much more agreeable then it had when we arrived yesterday and Madame De La Vega has told us how much she adores the rose garden. I simply could not resist, and had to see it. It is quite lovely in the light of the setting sun."

"I quite agree," Joaquin smiled and offered his arm to the young woman who beauty was far greater then that of the flowers.

She accepted it.

"Shall we take a turn together, it would be my pleasure to answer any questions about any of the flora you are not familiar with," he said and smiled down at her.

For the first time she raised her eyes to meet his. Their blue was like the ocean itself and the tears that lingered there moved like the wind on the waves. His heart leapt in fear to see such subdued and yet so harsh a mourning in those eyes. She looked away as quickly as she could but those eyes had pierced his soul. The mystery of sadness that lay behind those eyes had captured him and yet he could not bring himself to ask any question for fear that they would overflow with tears. How it would break his heart to see her cry.

They walked on together in silence, occasionally stopping near a new bloom that intrigued her. Joaquin spoke mechanically about the plants found in California, but that really was the farthest thing from his mind.

"I have never seen such beautiful things," Angela remarked as they past more of the seemingly tropical plants, "everything does seem far more beautiful here."

"Forgive my boldness, Senorita, but these silly flowers have nothing to your beauty," he smiled and kissed her hand.

The blush that rose in her cheeks was as red as the roses that surrounded them. It brought a colour to her face that had not been present yet and it brought a shade and a mystique to those eyes that took his breath away.

"I thank you, monsieur for such kind words," she said shyly, "but I do not deserve to be praised in such a manner. There is far more beauty in this garden then I could ever aspire to have."

"I am sure my mother will be flattered to hear your praise for her flowers," Joaquin said as they walked on, "she has always said it is the duty of a well bread lady to have a small space of her own."

"I can hardly call this garden small," Angel remarked and blushed, falling silent.

"You need not be so guarded. I'll not tell your grandmother," Joaquin whispered as he felt the pressure on his arm tighten.

"She would be mortified to hear me speaking so freely," the young woman sighed, "it has been very difficult to act the way she wishes. I had never been taught the strict ways of being a lady," her voice trailed off into a whisper before she could go on.

"She only wants the best for you I suppose," Joaquin said with a sigh, "as all parents and guardians, I am not a great supporter of the upper classes and their regiments but I to have been forced to be a gentleman."

She giggled a little at his joke and covered her mouth when she realized she had done it.

"I do not know how much of it is for my own good," she said after a moment, "she seems quite content with being rid of me, she threatens it often enough. I believe she merely wants my money and the family property in Paris for herself."

"Is that why you have come to the Americas?" he asked.

"I believe so," she answered shyly, "she wishes to be rid of me to a man of the New World and so she can release my fathers property in Spain from me and keep the French home for herself. Spain is my dowry and Paris my fortune," she sighed.

"I was under the impression it was all your fortune," Joaquin said a little shocked by her speech, "is it not all in your name."

"Yes, it is," Angela said as a tear rolled down her cheek, "but so long as I am under my grandmothers guardianship I will not see the property in Spain again and I believe she has been trying, under false authority, to sell the property all together. She tells every man that is interested that Spain shall be his prize for taking Me." her hand fell away from his arm as she wept.

"Clearly you did not agree to this," Joaquin said, shock in his voice.

"Oh no, Monsieur," she said looking straight into his eyes, "I shall never marry. So long as that woman lives I will be the thorn in her side. I wish for her to hate me as much as I hate her. I have lost all my freedom."

Joaquin stared in horror as the tears continued to roll down her face. He wanted to reach out and take her into his arms. To hold her and hide her away from the wicked woman who held her captive. But he could not do it. He simply reached out for her to take his arm again. Silently she did, dabbing away her tears with a handkerchief.

"Please, I beg that you should not mention this to anyone," she whispered.

"What harsh punishments lay ahead of you?" he asked looking down into her tear stained face.

"You will know them, when you see them," she sighed.

"You seem to think that she already knows of your confessions to me," he whispered.

"She always does, or she assumes that I have done wrong. She would never scorn you or your family, Monsieur, I fear that you are the next object for me to reject."

The words cut deep into his soul. Never had he ever felt so drawn to a lady of wealth, he had quite sworn them off all together, but knowing her determination to reject for the sake of defying her grandmother, he could not bare. He had never been rejected before.

"I shall take that rejection with pride and civility, you have my word on it," he said as he turned to look away from her.

"Thank you," she whispered and held tighter to his arm.

The dinner bell rang out over the garden as they walked together. The tears from her eyes still soaking her cheeks but the determination in her eyes burned like the hottest fire. She was not the girl he had thought she was and now he longed for her and her alone.


	8. Dinner

Chapter 8: Dinner.

Joaquin allowed the young woman to join the dinner party with out him, that way no one would even suspect their earlier conversation. He made for his room as soon as he had entered the hacienda and waited until it would be inappropriate to go down to dinner. He wished to see the old woman's agitation now. He hoped for some kind of reprimand from her about his tardiness. He waited to make an entrance after the meal had been severed. There was something about her he did not trust in the least and wanted to see if he could force her to betray her propriety. Now, that he was the only one to know how the young woman felt, he wished to know why there was so much hate for that woman, though he had already started to dislike her himself. How, he had wondered, could she treat her own grand daughter with such distaste and hatred, was the observation he wished to make.

He bowed into the dining room and took his place at the table silently. Sitting across from Angela he could see she hardly touched her food and never did she look up. She was a silent possession in the presence of the old woman. It was almost as if, the old woman's mere presence had sucked the life out of her. He couldn't take his eyes off Angela as the dining room fell silent once more.

"You have been absent all day, Monsieur De La Vega. Have you fallen ill?" the old woman asked breaking the silence. Her stare was like ice, as she directed her question at Joaquin.

"No, Senora, but there was some business that I felt I had to attend to. Business of my father's estate, which I feel is becoming very much my responsibly as it will one day be my own. Also I had matters of my own education to take care of. I often attend to many of the governmental meetings and gatherings of the Dons so that I may learn the ways of our family and the old traditions of our government. I assure you, my time was wisely spent and I do apologize for my absence," he said as politely and as sarcastically as he could muster.

"Affairs of estate," she question, "surely you are not dealing with that already."

"We do encourage Joaquin to participate in everything pertaining to his future," Alejandro smiled, "he has been dealing with matters of the estate since he was eight."

"Goodness, that is young for the child of a gentleman," the old woman hissed and looked at her plate, "but perhaps that is the way of the Spanish Gentlemen." she said.

Angela shifted nervously in her seat.

"My son in law was very lax in his position. He believed it was alright to teach his daughter to think and speak in society," the old woman continued, "it has been quite difficult to adapt Angela to the ways of the Parisian nobility, has it not my dear."

"Yes, very difficult indeed," Angela whispered.

Alejandro and Elena looked at each other nervously as a silence fell over the table.

"Can you believe he actually taught her how to fight?" the old woman stated after some time, "and not just with an _épée_, but with a pistol as well."

"Is that true," Elena smiled, "who had you taken lessons with? I had, had training myself when I was very young."

"My father was my only professor, Madame," Angela whispered, "but surely, if you were school acquaintances you must have shared the same professors there."

"That is quite true," Elena smiled, "your father was quite the swordsman I dare say."

"I must agree with you, Madame," Angela smiled for the first time, "he taught me as much as was proper for a young lady. Had he not passed I would have hoped to learn more."

"I dare say there is still time," Elena said, "Joaquin is quite the swordsman himself. I am sure, if you wish to practice, he would be more then happy to assist you. Is that not so my dear?" she asked turning to her son.

"It would be my pleasure," Joaquin said and smiled at Angela.

"Well I never," the grandmother gasped in horror, "It is not right for ladies to learn such violence!"

"Oh but Senora, it is wonderful exercise," Alejandro smiled.

"A woman's place is never in battle, Monsieur. It is a woman's gentle duty to bear children and keep the house of the gentleman. To be very well accomplished in music, reading and needle work and any of the only arts that a woman should be learning, nothing more," she hissed.

Joaquin raised one eyebrow as he looked to the head of the table and his father. Alejandro just shrugged and shook his head. The subject was dropped and silence filled the room once more.

It was a very long and uncomfortable silence now and it lasted until the dishes were cleared and they retired into a drawing room for coffee. There, at a piano that was kept in a corner, Angela was ordered to play and it was there that she remained for the rest of the evening.

"Now that is the work of a true Lady," the old woman said pleasantly as she enjoyed her tea, "Angela, is a true proficient at the instrument, she sings quite beautifully as well, but I dare say she could be even better had she not wasted so much time running around the country side with her father. Would you care to sing, Angela?" her grandmother asked.

"I would prefer to decline for tonight, as this strange Californian weather has allowed me to catch a bit of a cold. I should like to just continue to play, if that suits you," Angela answered looking up from the music before her.

"Very well, but I dare say you should sing soon for the Monsieur and Madame, they have so graciously invited you into their home, it would be only proper." the old woman said sternly.

"Oui, Madame," Angela sighed and turned to a French aria and began to sing softly from the piano.

Joaquin watched her intensely as she obeyed her grandmothers every order. The sorrow in her voice could not be betrayed and yet she would not disobey the vile woman who sat so condemningly on the sofa.

When she had finished and the tea things were cleared and the room was emptied as the carriage was called to take them back to their lodgings. Joaquin offered his hand to the young lady to help her into the carriage before her grandmother. She looked back at him before she let go of his hand and with tears in those eyes once more she whispered the one thing that could have shocked even the most proper of men.

"Help me, please."


	9. Secrets

Chapter 9: Secrets.

The following day passed without seeing the young woman, but her haunting eyes had kept Joaquin awake all through the night. They had always seemed to be so full of sorrow. No matter what was said or how it was said, it had always seemed to scold her to the point of tears. She looked pail and sick whenever she was near her grandmother but he had seen the life that resided inside her. She was like a wild bird caged by some wealth collector never again able to see the world that she had so loved. The sadness in her eyes was far more than mourning for her lost parents and her lost homeland but that of a captive soul; one whose entire world had been taken away and sold to the highest bidder. She seemed bitter and tarnished by the idea of her captivity and a hatred rose in her eyes as desperation filled her soul. She had been captured and enslaved to the propriety of the nobility. Her open freedom was swept away from her to a cage of dinner parties and piano benches. It broke his heart to think that such captivity was still present in the world, especially after all of the revolutionary tactics that had changed the faces of governments and colonies of all the major powers. It was a terrifying truth to know that she was a slave of the upper class, one she didn't seem able to abandon.

He had wandered away from the hacienda as the bells tolled to summon Zorro. Following in his wake, all the way to the cathedral, Joaquin hid in the confessional listening to what was going on until his father had disappeared again. It sounded like more people had disappeared without a trace and not only the beggars off the streets, little children had disappeared, mostly young girls. The idea of someone kidnapping them made the blood boil in Joaquin's veins.

Sneaking out of the cathedral was never hard, but following Zorro without being seen by his father or anyone else was another matter. Instead he decided to stay within the city to see if he could learn of any new developments. He found out that more people then he had initial thought had gone missing, many more and it had been going on for some time now. First the beggars and the day workers, men and women who worked day by day for whoever would give them work. Then all of a sudden more people started to disappear. It wasn't only the nameless now; it was the sons and the daughters of the poor community, youthful members of the community that had their places in the farms and the houses of the people that worked for many of the Dons.

Zorro had been summoned back into the city once more because of missing people. More peasants had vanished and people were beginning to worry desperately about their loved ones. Everyone in the streets that night looked suspiciously around. It was even more difficult to sneak about, with the paranoid workers looking over their shoulders at every noise.

There was also a strange whispered rumor that was prowling the night, just as he was. He heard from many of the people that he talked to that men, not of their village and not even of their heritage were handing around. Men that were only known as pirates by those that saw them come from the harbor. They were the filthy, ragged men, that worked on board ships of bad reputation but there had been no ships of that kind come into port. The navel patrol that guarded the harbor had been doing a very good job of keeping those ships at bay.

Soon Joaquin found himself crouching down by the docks; the salty sea air stung his eyes in the dry heat of the summer night. He watched the men of the docks for a long time and all seemed normal. Except for the large old ship that stood nearly deserted at the farthest peer. Normally he would have never given it a second through but this ship was familiar. It was the ship that Angela and her Grandmother had come on and it was still docked, not at the same peer as they had arrived at but still in the port.

The ships never stayed long at the peers. They were gone within days of arriving; the port was to busy to keep ships stationary for long. But this ship didn't look like it was going anywhere. He snuck closer to it, trying his hardest to keep out of sight. He didn't dare board the ship, not without a disguise and on this night he had none, not even a mask to cover his face from the well knowing eyes of the city. He simply sat and watched, he could do nothing tonight.

As he sat and observed he was able to determine the rounds of the watchman. Once, at the top of the hour a man would come up from the inner parts of the ship and would walk from stern to bow and return to where he had come, presumably. This was repeated at top of the hour, every hour, by the same man. Few other sailors came and went from the ship but if they were boarding they were alone. It was an odd routine for the men of that ship, but that was how it was.

By the early hours of the morning there was a commotion on the dock below the gang plank. Joaquin hadn't seen the pair of men approaching but there they were with another body strung between them. It seemed as though the person who they led to the ship was not supposed to waken but did before they could pull his limp body up the gang plank. The sound of his sluggish and frantic voice called out for help but was quickly silenced. Joaquin wanted desperately to go down to the ship and help the poor soul who was being pulled aboard the ship, once again unconscious, but he dared not leave his hiding spot.

He didn't have to, after the men disappeared into the depths of the ship with the unconscious man, a figure, dressed all in black slipped up a port side bow tie and up onto the ship. It was not Zorro, Joaquin could tell just by looking at the way the black fabric hung around the figure. It was not the regal costume of Zorro, it wasn't even a man. By the looks of the costume, that was most certainly a woman.

Her face was covered, completely wrapped in back except for a slit that simply showed her eyes. The fabric for her shroud hung down the back of her black frock and her feet wore black slippers, at her side hung a silver épée, much like his fathers.

His heart beat fast as she disappeared and for a long time she was gone. Suddenly the two men appeared from inside the ship and descended the gangplank and disappeared again. Shortly after the woman shrouded in black slipped out the same way and ran silently down the gangplank, disappearing much like the men had done.

The cover of night would be disappearing soon, but Joaquin could not help himself. He moved closer to the ship and searched all around for a hint of the people that had fled from the great ship. There were no signs of them and not even the struggle of the person appeared on the dock. It was the perfect crime. It seemed like this could be nothing but a crime. A deep sinking feeling enveloped him as he looked up at the silent ship. Was this where the people were disappearing to and what was it all for.

He was over come with anger as he found his horse in the church yard and road off into the rising sun, toward the hacienda. He was certain that he had been right in the beginning to think that only bad would come with that ship. He believed now that there was no one to blame but the woman shrouded in black.


	10. Dangerous Grounds

Chapter 10: Dangerous Grounds.

Joaquin rode quickly, but as the sun rose he knew he would be in trouble. He had spent far too much time down by the water and now would be late for his training with his father. He would have to explain why he was late, why he was out of the hacienda and what he had been looking for. He was unsure, as of yet, if he wanted to tell his father about what he had seen. He was certain of it himself but didn't want to give any information until he found the proof to back his condemning thoughts.

"Where have you been?" Alejandro scolded as he paced the Masters Wheel that lay painted on the stone floor of the underground lair.

Joaquin lowered his eyes to the ground but said nothing.

"You are lucky your mother doesn't know you were missing," his father said angrily, "and you are even luckier you haven't been taken like the rest of them."

"The rest of whom," Joaquin asked as he walked into the master wheel and faced his father, ready to fight.

"The rest of the men and women who have gone missing," Alejandro said as he lunged at his son.

"There are more of them?" Joaquin asked, acting dumb, and blocking his fathers attacks.

"Don't play dumb, Joaquin," Alejandro said and attacked again, "I know very well you would have heard as much as I, if you were out in the streets all night. The people are terrified of what is going on. Don't lie to me I know you know." he said his voice rising in anger.

"Father you know better then to fight in anger," Joaquin said as he backed away breathlessly, "what had really angered you?"

"The fact that the people are frightened and I have no ideas where to look," Alejandro sighed, took a deep breath and readied him self again for the training.

"No one can tell you anything?" Joaquin asked as he attacked first.

"No," Alejandro answered blocking and lunging at Joaquin, "have you heard anything?" he asked.

"Not really," Joaquin answered, "I only know that more then just men are disappearing. Apparently small children, girls, have also been taken from their homes. One right from her bed," he said.

"Children," Alejandro practically yelled as he frantically swung at Joaquin.

"Father, be calm," Joaquin stated angrily as he fought but finally disarmed his father.

Alejandro stood, breathless, in the middle of the Masters Wheel looking at his sword in Joaquin's hand, "who did you hear this news from," he asked.

"It wasn't a reliable source; it could only be rumor that she was taken from her bed. But I am certain that children are among the missing," Joaquin answered and walked to his father and returned his sword.

"Thank you," Alejandro said taking the sword back, "you know that was the first time you've ever done that to me."

"I had the advantage of calm nerves," Joaquin smiled, "you should follow your own teachings."

"Yes I know," Alejandro sighed, "I am just frustrated. You can't tell me any thing else?"

"Not at this time," Joaquin said, "there are things that I am sure you will hear or already know. I just don't know how to interpret them yet."

"Me either," Alejandro said as he stiffened, "the stories are to bizarre and nothing is making sense."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Joaquin said as he readied himself for another attack.

"Do you think they are killing the people they had abducted," Alejandro asked as he turned away from his son.

"I seriously hope not," Joaquin sighed.

"Perhaps it will soon be time for you come out with me," Alejandro sighed as he pulled open an armoire that rested in a dark corner of the under ground lair. He pulled from it a black mask and cloak, "this is not my mask, you are not ready to ride as Zorro, but I do not want you out again without being hidden. I could put too much suspicion on our family if you were to be caught." he said as he handed his son the items, "just don't tell your mother that I am letting you do this."

"Do what?" Joaquin asked as he winked as his father and took the mask and the cloak, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"That's my boy, now listen," Alejandro said as he made his way through a maze of ropes and poles, "I need you to continue in your investigation. I can't be everywhere at once and the farther I seem to get from the city the less there is to know so I believe that everything is happening from within. If the stories are true, everything is based around the harbor."

"Yes, I have heard this as well," Joaquin said as he followed his father through the agility tests, "people are even saying pirates have made it into the city."

"Pirates," Alejandro asked, "What would pirates want people for?"

"That is what I have yet to find out," Joaquin answered as he followed his father into a grueling set of pushups, "apparently the first people to go missing were the day workers but only the very able ones; beggars and the sick are not being touched. The ages range from young children, mainly girls, to older men of high working abilities. The kidnappings have been occurring more and more in areas that are detrimental to the Dons."

"I know, we've already lost two of our workers," Alejandro said as he ended his set of pushups and sat cross leg on the floor.

"Who," Joaquin asked.

"Carlo Mendez you already know about and Juanita Meza disappeared from her home yesterday evening," Alejandro said with a sigh.

"Juanita is only a child," Joaquin gasped.

"I know, and it is why I am so disturbed, not to mention the rumors about her are true. You've confirmed that yourself by telling me that the children are being taken from their beds. Her mother laid her to bed herself. Juanita was fast asleep before her mother had even left the room and by morning she was gone," Alejandro said with a heightened sense of agitation.

"We need to get to the bottom of this," Joaquin said as he began to pace, "I believe that the ships in the harbor are where we are going to find the most information."

"But the ships do not stick around very long," Alejandro said.

"I know," Joaquin said contemplating his next words, "that is why it is strange that the large ship that Madame Gaverte and Angela disembarked the other day is still in the harbor."

"Docked or anchored?" Alejandro asked.

"Docked with a watchman that does his rounds every hour on the hour," Joaquin answered.

"That is odd," Alejandro sighed, "I think that is where we should start our search."

"I agree," Joaquin said as Elena entered the underground lair.

"Your breakfast is getting cold," Elena said as she watched the two of them.

"We're coming," Alejandro said as he pushed his son along in front of him.

"I hope you have found what you have been looking for all night, both of you," she said as she turned her back on them.

"Not completely," Alejandro answered as he looked at his son.

"It is probably as much as I have been hearing from our hired workers," Elena added.

"Mother how did you know I was gone," Joaquin asked as they walked through the house.

"When you're father left I checked on you and seeing that you were also out on business, I presumed, and then I started my own investigation. If you both have forgotten I am a member of this family as well and have worked very had to keeps its secrets," She said and they all fell silent.


	11. Mother

Chapter 11: Mother.

Joaquin paced in his room nervously all the rest of the day. Breakfast has not gone well. It had only given more indication that the problem at hand was much bigger than they had first anticipated. Elena was able to uncover many more names and places of the disappeared and even how and when things were most likely to happen. There was a lot of fear among the hired help and the workers of their land and Elena was usually the one that visited and talked with the women she oversaw. They trusted her explicitly and from this she was able to get more particular details than either Alejandro or Joaquin. She had even been down to see Juanita's mother and was given detail so disturbing that Alejandro and Joaquin became uneasy and quite desperate to get to the bottom of the situation.

The mask and the cloak lay, hidden, in Joaquin's dressing table drawer and his horse was being re-shoed that afternoon by order of Alejandro himself. He knew that he would have to wait till the cover of darkness to venture out again and down to the docks to investigate further. He didn't dare go out in the daylight, even with the mask. He was not Zorro, the costume wasn't Zorro and so he did not know how the people would react to him if he was seen. He remained, anxiously, waiting the cover of darkness but believed that his father had gone back out into the field not long after the horses had been tended too. It was not as Zorro this time, however, but in his day cloths and to meet with the Dons and get as many particulars from them as he could.

As the hour of dinner time arrived, Elena came up to him as he paced his room.

"Your father and I are going to dinner with some of the Dons, you are welcome to join us," she said as he opened the door to her.

"Thank you, but I think I would prefer to stay in tonight," he sighed and walked to his bed.

"Are you not well, my child?" she asked as she rushed to his bed side, "you have not rested all night and I believe you have been agitated all day."

"I am fine, mother," he said looking up at the ceiling.

"There is something bothering you, you know you can trust me," she smiled as she stroked his hair.

"I know," he smiled, "I am simply confused.

"About what, my love?" she asked and folding her hands gently in her lap she looked down at him.

"About the things that I am hearing, and about the missing workers, and about that woman who has come here," he said with a great sigh.

"Angela?" she asked astonished.

"No, the vile grandmother of hers," Joaquin stated, "I had said that nothing could come of their coming here and now I believe it. All these terrible disappearances started happening when she arrived. I have a terribly feeling. I need to blame her for this, I believe she is guilty and capable of it all," he sighed.

"Surely you are joking," Elena giggled, "how could she be involved when she is so very adamant about her grand daughter's womanly behaviour?"

"It is not always the custom to practice what you preach," Joaquin said as he got up and began to pace again, "by your view you would believe that what she tells Angela is exactly what she is like herself. I don't believe it for a moment. I believe it is all an act. She is too interested in profit by what the grand daughter has told me and money has made monsters of men."

"These as some very harsh accusations, my love," Elena sighed, "do you have the proof to be making such statements to the woman's guilt?"

"No," Joaquin sighed, "not yet."

"Then you cannot place blame if you haven't got any proof. Besides you hardly know the woman, you've not given her the change."

"Surely, you can't be defending her. You don't trust her, I can see it in the way you look at her," Joaquin said.

"No, you are right, I do not trust her," Elena said as she looked at her hands, "but I cannot accuse her of what you have."

"It is a bit far fetched," Joaquin sighed and stared off out the window.

"Does your father know how you feel?" Elena asked after a long silence.

"He does," Joaquin admitted, "and Zorro is going to investigate the old woman."

"Well, it may give him at least something to look into. He's come up with nothing but dead ends," Elena sighed.

"I know," Joaquin said as he came back and sat down beside his mother, "and still more and more people are going missing, without a trace. He has to find something soon."

"Perhaps the Dons can give him some input. Can I not persuade you to join us? Perhaps you will pick something out of their tales that your father might miss, and I do hate to see you so cooped up here, in this room," his mother said as he took her hand and kissed it, "it bothers me so to see you becoming as solitary as your father."

"We are very much alike," Joaquin smiled, "but I am sorry, I do not think I am of the right mind set to be in company tonight. I must decline."

"Very well," she sighed and leaned in to kiss her sons forehead, "I will leave you to your thoughts, I do hope they prove more rewarding then the company of society."

"I thank you," he smiled and watched as her gown swept across the floor as she left.

He heard the carriage outside only moments later and then heard it leave. The hacienda was thrown into a silent eeriness. It was a strange silence that brought on only uneasiness. He got up now and paced the room again. Could he have really accused the old woman of taking part in something that would be, in her eyes, so very unladylike? He had and the moment it had issued from his lips he was convinced of the truth that lay within it. She had to be the woman he had seen in the black shroud. There was no other explanation in his mind. He would not only need the proof and the help of his rising abilities, but he would need to be careful as to not jeopardize the young woman in the process.


	12. Bien Venue

Chapter 12: Bien Venue.

A sudden movement, in the courtyard below, caught Joaquin's attention and he rushed to the window to see what was happening. A carriage, drawn by two horses and with its curtains drawn, was pulling up to the hacienda. It was not his parent's carriage; it was clearly one of the public ones of the city as it was not as elegant as would have been expected for a visitor to the de la Vega homestead. He watched as the footman opened the door and a woman stepped out. She curtsied to his fathers valet, and was led into the hacienda.

Rushing, as he knew there was no one else in the house to greet the unexpected guest, he put on something that would be presentable to the lady and waited frantically to be summoned down to her. Joaquin's valet appeared moments later and helped him into an evening coat and led him down to a drawing room where the woman was waiting.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Senorita?" he asked as he laid eyes on her.

"I have come to speak with you," Angela said as she removed her bonnet, "it is very important," she said and lowered her eyes to the floor.

"That will be all," he said and waved the servants from the room. He waited a moment before he walked across the room and offered her a seat, "your grandmother does not know you are here, I presume."

"No," Angela whispered, "she has gone out for the evening, but I do not know where or when she will be back, so I must make this quick."

"What would happen if she found out you missing?" Joaquin asked not really wanting to know what horrors laid in store for the poor girl but very interested in a little flirtation.

"I do not wish to think of that," She whispered, "she'd most certainly wish to know how I got out and I am not ready at this point to let her know what other abilities and skills my father had bestowed upon me. It would drive her to worse things than she is already putting me through."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"She locks me in my room when she leaves. I learned long ago how to pick locks, but she does not know that," she whispered again.

"You can't be serious. She treats you as a prisoner?" he asked as he began to pace the room.

"Yes," Angela answered, "she began locking me away when my father died. I think she feared that I was too wild and would disgrace the family or perhaps it is because she doesn't want me to know her true colours. I cannot say for certain."

"If people were to know what she does to you, it would be she who is the disgrace," Joaquin said angrily.

"It really doesn't matter now," she said as she stood and joined him, "I need to find someone and I do not know who else to turn to. I have not been able to meet anyone else since we have arrived and believe it is because of your station that I have been aloud to even associate and move freely around this house, Joaquin, please tell me I can trust you."

"You can," he said as he unconsciously took her hands, "who are you seeking?" he asked as he looked down into those eyes.

"I need to find a legend," she said nervously as she looked away, "a man who protects the people. I have only ever though of him as legend but now I fear I need his help, if he even exists."

"Can you not give me a name?" Joaquin asked knowing who she was looking for.

"Zorro," she whispered, "you must help me find a man called Zorro."

"Zorro?" he asked, his heart sinking, "why do you seek such a man."

"Because he works for justice and protects the people, or at least that is the legend," she said with more passion then he had ever hear in her voice, "I had heard the legend as a little girl from my father and only believed it to be a story, but now I hear of him constantly from the whisperings of the people. They say he is the protector of California. Is it true?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"Then you know of him?" she asked, "Have you seen him?"

"I have," Joaquin said whispering now, "but you must be very careful when mentioning him. There are so many who could be listening in that could give away your whereabouts or the conversation we are having. Are you sure you want to be looking for him? Why are you so desperate to speak with such a man? People of statue believe him to be a menace."

"Do you believe he is a menace?" Angela asked as she looked deeply into his eyes for the first time, "if you say he is then I would forget about him and return to my solitude but if you believe he may be able to make right what is happening then I will listen and be grateful to you, Joaquin, and your advice."

"I do not believe all that the Don's and the nobility believe," Joaquin whispered, "because it is, almost always, the Don's that cause the poverty and corruption that the people suffer from. Zorro is the one and only person that will fight for the people."

"I knew I could trust you to help me," She said.

"But what have you to tell him if you have been locked away from the world," he asked.

"I dare not tell anyone but him," she said lowering her voice, "is he really real?" she asked again looking up into Joaquin's eyes, pleading with him.

"Of course he is," Joaquin answered.

"Thank heavens," she sighed as tears built in her eyes and she fell back onto the sofa.

"What trouble are you in that you are in need of a bandits help?" Joaquin asked as he sat down beside her.

"He is my only hope," she whispered as she squeezed his hands tighter, "please tell me where I can find him."

"It is not as easy as it may sound," Joaquin sighed, "he is not easily found, Senorita."

"No," she gasped as tears fell down her cheeks, "it cannot be this hard."

"Please," Joaquin said as he brushed the tears from off her cheek, "I will do all I can to help you find, Zorro."

"Thank you," she said, trying to smile, "I knew you were kind, I could see it in your eyes. I would be indebted to you."

"You would owe me nothing," Joaquin said gently.

"Where do I start?" she asked suddenly passionate again, "I can waist no time."

"All I know is this," Joaquin whispered, "you may be able to get a message to him."

"How?" she asked.

"When you go to confession, leave the message under the cushion of the confessional," he whispered, "he will find it there, but he will not go to it if there is anyone in the cathedral."

"But I must speak to him," she said raising her voice, "what if someone was to find my message?"

"No one will find it," Joaquin smiled, "it is honored as sacred to leave messages there for the protector of the people. When he finds it he will find you as well."

"Oh thank you," she said as tears filled her eyes once more, "you have been so wonderful and I am so sorry I had to burden you with this. Please I beg of you to tell no one," she whispered.

"You have my word," Joaquin whispered back.

"I must go," she said as she stood quickly, "I cannot get caught. Thank you again," she whispered in his ear as she kissed his cheek and fled from the room.

Joaquin followed her only as far as the foyer where he saw her, hastily, climb into the carriage and watched as it sped away into the setting sun.


	13. A Family Affair

Chapter 13: A Family Affair.

The cover of darkness could not fall fast enough for the disturbed and anxious Joaquin de la Vega. He paced through his home, only where darkness could hide him, his mind filled with millions of questions and a need to find answers. He did not eat, nor did he sleep and his movements and actions were not his own. His mind had become clouded and confused. Something really was terribly wrong if a stranger to the land could be so entangled in it. Somehow everything seemed to be connected; Joaquin could feel it in the recesses of his soul and knew that what the girl had to say would help them all in their search.

Joaquin believed Angela completely, even though he did not understand her anxiety. She was speaking in riddles; frantically and disrupted by her fear. She was torn by what was right and her captivity. She was afraid for her life and her own freedom as much as she was the people that surrounded her. The need to do Good was written in her eyes and he knew that she meant well, that there wasn't any evil in her, and that she was being treated like a prisoner and a slave herself.

Sadly Angela was not truly seeking Joaquin, and his heart sank to know this. She was determined to find Zorro and to trust him with all of the secrets that she had come to know. He had done all he could for her now; because he was not who his father was, although he wanted more than anything to be Zorro in that moment. Angela had done something to him and he was not thinking in a way that was right for the protector and he knew it. There was a pleading in her eyes and gentleness in her voice but her structure was strong; the body of a well trained warrior. She moved like a lady but her eyes spoke of courage and secrets that were hers alone. He did not see in her as the well bread, gentlewoman that he was expected to fall in love with but she was these thing and more.

By dusk his parent's carriage was pulling up to the house and their laughter was heard through the foyer. They had arrived home alone but seemed to have enjoyed themselves. Disturbed Joaquin met them at the bottom of the stairs and his eyes beckoned them into the solitude and the seriousness of the coming night.

"What news have you uncovered my son?" His father asked as the assembled in the empty dining room.

"I am not quite sure how to say it," Joaquin said as he began to pace the length of the long table, "I was not completely honest with you today. I have seen some things that I did not want to believe but I have had a visitor tonight that in some ways has made me question whether I know enough and more so in my own abilities and I believe with all my heart that more and more evil will happen if we don't take the advice of those that have stepped forward to help."

"Who came here?" Elena asked, worry passing over her face.

"Angela came to me tonight. I don't know if she knew I was going to be alone but she came," Joaquin said as he noticed in his mothers eyes the same concern and warrior spirit as he had seen in Angela's.

"Why would the girl come to you?" Alejandro asked as he leaned back in his chair, "she can't know much, as she had only been in California a few days."

"I think she knows more about this evil then we do," Joaquin said.

"But why did she come?" Elena asked.

"She came so that I might help her find Zorro," Joaquin answered

"Then she doesn't know our secret," Alejandro said with a sigh of relief.

"No, and doesn't expect it either but she does have a message for you and I believe it will be key to helping us," Joaquin said passionately.

"What is the message?" Alejandro asked.

"She would not tell me. She does not trust me enough to give me any information but she is leaving a message for you in the traditional way. She came looking for a way to find you and I was only able to tell her of your routine with the people. She will leave you a message under the confessional cushion tonight I believe," Joaquin said.

"Good, I will go there first and then I will go down to the docks to see what I can find there. You should go to the girl and make sure she is still safe," Alejandro said as he walked to the buffet and poured himself some wine, "Elena perhaps you should go to the girl as well."

"I don't think you will find her where her grandmother says they are staying unless you can guarantee that the grandmother will be with her," Joaquin said as he continued pacing.

"The grandmother is with the Don's tonight," Elena said as she watched her son, "your father and I left her with them this evening. The girl was not with her tonight. She said she was feeling quite under the weather. That California was not agreeing with her and that she was staying at home. If anything we could go to check on her health I believe."

"She will not be there nor would she answer is she could," Joaquin sighed, "the grandmother locks her up when she leaves. Angela confessed to being proficient in picking locks and I believe if the grandmother is out for the night Angela would not be staying when she has a message to get to Zorro."

"She locks her up?" Alejandro gasped.

"Yes, she is only aloud to associate with us because she believes that her grandmother has set me as her future husband and that I am the only person she can associate with. That is why you did not see Angela today; she has not and will not make the Don's acquaintance," Joaquin said as he slumped into a chair next to his mother.

"If she is up to no good she has not chosen well for the family of her granddaughter's acquaintance," Elena said as she took her sons hand, "perhaps I should call on some of the other wives of our acquaintance tonight and see who the grandmother is visiting."

"That is a good idea," Alejandro said, "and Joaquin you must go down to the harbor as we had planned. I will meet with you there if I am not sent elsewhere. Be careful not be to seen and we will have another conference tomorrow morning."

"Whatever comes of this I think it would be best for all parties involved to be very forward in continuing the acquaintance with Angela so that we may be able to help her in her captivity, if not at least we may be able to keep an eye on her grandmother. Perhaps it would be best to have her with us in the daylight as much as we can," Elena suggested as she watched her son and read the worry on his face, "I don't think it is wise for us, knowing what we know, to not try and help the poor girl."

"Then you do not trust the grandmother either?" Alejandro asked as he looked as his wife.

"I have not trusted her from the moment I met her," Elena said and smiled at her son, "she is far to dominating for a woman of her age and statue and she obsesses over a womanly character that is not what she is modeling for the young woman. I believe if the girl is as troubled and afraid as Joaquin says she is then we would do best to not trust the woman that is holding her captive. If she can force captivity on her own grandchild then could she not force captivity on other?"

"Captivity for what purpose," Alejandro asked.

"From what I can gather, the fathers fortune is a large piece of property in Spain and the mothers is property in France," Joaquin said shyly, "Angela's dowry is said to be the property in Spain and her fortune the property in France and if the grandmother can find the girl a suitable husband in this country the properties in both can be sold off. France would continue to be the home of the grandmother and I am sure that it could be very well arranged that the old woman could live out her days in peace on a piece of land well tended to, but because of the shortage of labourers, due to the abolition of the slave trade in Europe I believe she has come here to gather workers for her own purpose."

"Those are very serious allegations Joaquin," his father said.

"This is what I have been told by Angela and would make sense considering the types of people that have gone missing," Joaquin answered.

"That would explain the grandmother's reasons for choosing you as her granddaughter's suitor. We do have a lot of land and are very prosperous here. There would be no reason for you to leave California," Elena said as she looked from her son to her husband.

"Yes, this is very true," Alejandro said deep in thought.

"But what her grandmother doesn't know is Angela is determined to refuse any suitor, simply to torment her grandmother. All of the land is in Angela's name and the old woman only has a hand in managing them until a suitable husband can be found. She does not have authority over the buying or selling of any of the property and it is only settled that the woman will remain in her home land once the granddaughter is established and well taken care of," Joaquin sighed.

"You cannot tell me you are already feeling the sting of rejection," Alejandro laughed as he watched his son.

"I have no intention of making any offer to a woman of breading," Joaquin said in spite of himself.

"Ah, but a woman of breading she is not," Elena smiled, the mothering instinct glowing in her eyes, "she is a woman of secrets and deception."

"Much like your mother," Alejandro smiled.

"She is determined to not give in to any situation that may make her grandmothers plans any more achievable then they already are," Joaquin said as he tried to hide the blush that had risen on his face.

"I am sure you could make the old woman's life very difficult," Alejandro said.

"That is my plan," Joaquin said betraying his composure.

"Well I do hope that you boys plan to do some good while you are scheming against old women," Elena laughed and rose from her chair, "but don't you think we should put our plans into action. You are wasting the evening and soon full darkness will be upon us."

"You are right, my love," Alejandro smiled, "we have much to do."


	14. Confessions and Captures

Chapter 14: Confessions and Captures.

The cathedral was dark and silent as Zorro moved through it; as he had done for years. The place was lit only by the candles that glowed for those who had been lost to them. Many of the people had taken refuge in their faith and prayed that their sons and daughters would be returned to them. It was the only hope for some of them and Alejandro knew that there was a lot of doubt in the minds of men.

This old building was a central part of the community and had always stood as a center for hope. Zorro had very little hope after the conversation he had had with his family. He was torn between his duty to the people and his duty to his family. What could he say to his son in a situation that was out of his control? Was it right to hope that his son was not being affected by this old woman and her plans. Alejandro hoped that Joaquin was stronger than he showed but there was a fear that he was not telling them all that his face was betraying.

Alejandro found the note exactly where it was supposed to be. The note led him right to the docks and the ship that was sitting and waiting in the harbor. It did also bear a warning in it. There was a darkness that covered the ship and by the cover of nights; violent man and many secrets. Alejandro's fear now was for his son who he had sent back to the ship to wait and watch but he knew his son and he worried what his actions would be.

***

Joaquin waited as he had been told. He was dressed in black, with his mask and cloak but did not resemble the Zorro that the people knew. He fell into shadows as easily as darkness itself and waited and watched. He watched as the same scene unfolded before his eyes. The men came and went. Another person was brought into the ship and again the figure in black appeared but aside from these actions Joaquin did not witness anything more.

The darkness was complete as a thick fog began to roll in off the water and blanket the harbor. The large cargo ships were becoming very difficult to see as the fog became thicker and thicker. Joaquin decided then that he had to get closer to the ship to really understand and investigate what he had come to do. His ears played tricks on him as things became unfamiliar and vile in the thick, choking, fog.

As he reached the old ship that was now, once again, at the loading docks he watched through the darkness for any signs that may show him into the ship. His luck was with him on this night because as he came toward the ship he saw the dark figure once again emerge from within and head in another direction, still aboard the vast vessel.

Joaquin followed along hesitantly as the dark figure moved about the ship. Hiding was not hard in this maze of decking and cargo. The ship was surprisingly well stocked. Much of the cargo looked to be local agricultural goods and very innocent in their packing. Joaquin continued onward, through the maze, staying hidden in crates and shadows.

He traveled on cautiously into the very depths of the ship. He had lost sight off the black lady but that was no longer his worry. He wanted to see where the belly of the ship would take him. He had never felt like he was in more danger then he was now and no amount of preparation could have prepared him for this feeling.

The darkness was complete and thick as he came to the bottom of a final latter. Silence crashed in all around him so that his movements screamed into the darkness. Suddenly he felt hands on his shoulders and something damp covered his mouth. The darkness faded to unconsciousness before he could feel the ground beneath him fading.

***

Angela watched from the recesses as the men captured the young man in the black cloak. She had seen him, out of the corner of her eyes board the ship and began following her. She tried very desperately to loose him and soon she was being the stalker rather than the prey. Her heart sank to see this scene unfolding before her very eyes. There were too many men for her to take on without risking her own capture. She believed that the man in black was the infamous Zorro and she lost her breath to watch him fall victim to these men and her grandmother's villainy.

She followed them further into the secret passages that lay within this deceiving ship. The noise grew into a frenzy of wailing captives and pirate laughter as the dark secrets of the ship were revealed. She had not dared to venture this far into the ship before but seeing the young man in trouble drove her further beyond her better judgement.

The men laughed and taunted as they jostled their prisoner down into the ships hidden gallows. Angela gasped as they removed his mask and his cloak and the clothing that would bring some value at the market. The strange pirates threw Joaquin into a cell, with several other men, before they began to realize who he was.

"I know that boy," one of them laughed as Angela stared on in horror, "he's the son of one of the Don's"

"Getting yourself into trouble, boy," another man laughed as Joaquin began to realize what was happening to him.

"You had better let these people go," Joaquin said groggily.

"Oh and what do you plan to do about it?" the first man laughed and left taking the only torch with him and the other men followed.

The light faded out of the passage and silence fell among the prisoners before Angela moved out of her hiding place, "Joaquin," she whispered as she placed her hands on the cold bars.

"Who is there?" Joaquin asked as he moved toward the sound.

"Angela," she whispered and hoped that no one else could hear them.

"You must find my father Angela and tell him that I am here!" Joaquin said in a fearful whisper, "If you can find your way off of this ship."

"I can find my way, but Joaquin, this ship sails tomorrow at midnight!" she said breathlessly.

"Go straight to my family home, if my father is not there tell my mother and she will help you. If there is any family in all of California that can help it is mine," Joaquin said as he found her hand on the bars.

"Why were you dress in such a way Joaquin?" she asked as she held his hand, "are you Zorro?"

"no, I am not, but all will be answered if you find my family, I promise you that," he said, "but you must hurry, go now please!"

And with that she left him in darkness as thick as fog and as silent as the grave.


	15. Zorro et la Dame

Chapter 15: Zorro et la Dame

Zorro became very uneasy as the night wore on. He could not see the ships through the fog and this worried him. He had sent his only son into this dangerous night and now there were no signs of him. Alejandro half expected that he would not catch a glimpse of Joaquin because he was well trained in the arts that had ruled his father's life but there was strangeness in the way this night was speaking to him. It was far too quiet. So quiet that he even doubted the extent of his own training. Every move he made sounded as loud as thunder and made him shrink farther into the shadows from whence he came.

The men and women that lived down by the harbor were locked away against such a dark and fog bound night. The people were safely tucked away in their homes hoping that the strange fog and evil spirits would pass over them and their families. Alejandro felt their fear. He wanted nothing more then to be at home with his family on this strange night but there was terror in the hearts of the people and he had swore to protect them. Even with the fog and his great sense of duty Alejandro was worried about other things. The young woman's letter was weighing heavily on his mind. It contained accusations that centered on the ship and its crew. Pirates from the seas of Europe and answered to anyone who offered the highest price and this ship was surrounded in accusations of great wealth and misdoings.

Alejandro knew what he had to do and so he remained out in the open. He moved closer and closer to the dock and the ship in question until suddenly he could see a dark figure emerging from the ships shadowy confines. At first he believed the figure to be his son but as it drew nearer he realized it was a woman.

The woman moved in an agitated manner and quickly made her way through the city. Alejandro followed her in secret contempt as she led him away from the ship and the harbor. It became easier and easier to follow the woman as they moved into the city and the fog began to clear. She had mounted a horse in a stable yard that Alejandro knew to be a local place that harbored visitors and their animals. He had mounted Tornado to follow her along through the night. The chase was faster pace now on horseback. The woman was a very skilled horseman and even with his advance riding skill Alejandro found it difficult to keep up with the frantic flight of the dark lady.

His heart sank as they began to draw near the family home. A decision had to be made quickly as the woman drew nearer. Suddenly Alejandro could see Elena's carriage come into view. If there was a moment to stop the woman it was now. He pushed ahead now realizing that there was much ground between them and he pushed Tornado to his limits to catch up to the woman.

Angela saw the carriage come into view and for a moment her anxiety left her. She would get help at once and save Joaquin from the terrible predicament he had fallen into. She raced forward toward the house and heard the horse coming up behind her.

A dark figure was coming up fast behind her. At first she could not see who it was and a fear so dark and deep came over her that she felt dizzy and unsure of herself. What if this figure was not on the side of good, what if it was one of her grandmother's minions who had caught her in her lurking, she would now be leading the evil to a place where she was sure she would find safety. She may have just led this dark figure out and put her only refuge in danger by her frantic actions.

She pushed her horse forward as fast as they could go. The carriage had stopped and she saw someone getting out but it was only one person and the carriage moved away in a hurry but the person stood waiting. Angela recognized her at once as Madame de la Vega.

Angela dismounted in a frantic panic right before Elena as the dark figure was right on her heals. He dismounted as well and all at once Angela was met but the lethal edge of two swords; one from the legendary Zorro and the other from Elena de la Vega.

"Why have you come here?" Zorro demanded

"Peace, please, I have news for the lady of the house. I mean no harm to anyone," Angela stated without moving.

"Speak then," Elena stated calmly.

"I have seen your son and he is in danger, my lady," Angela said her eyes set and resolute.

"Who are you and why should I trust you?" Elena asked the worry rising in her voice as she shot a quick glance at her husband.

Angela hesitated for a moment and then removed the veil from her head, "I am sorry it has to be this way Madame, but I cannot risk my grandmother knowing what I have been trying to hide from her. My father trained me as a warrior and a protector. As much as she has tried I have fought her social reform for me. I beg you keep my secret and wish that this knowledge will be enough to gain your trust."

"Where is Joaquin, Angela?" Alejandro asked as he lowered his weapon and Elena ushered them into the house.

"How do you know who I am?" Angela asked as Alejandro continued to wear his mask.

"We have many secrets ourselves," Elena said as she hurried through the empty halls of her home, "you've chosen very well in the people to give your confidence and trust. This family is founded on secrets and a want for justice," she added and Alejandro revealed himself as the legendary Zorro.

They had come into the great dinning room and had locked the doors behind them. Alejandro moved aside a brick in the grand formal fireplace that hid the entrance to the underground lair of his heroic alter ego and they were led into warmly and adequately lit cave.

"Now tell me everything you know," Alejandro said as he looked up at the great void that filled the upper regions of the cave.

"Where is Joaquin," Elena asked again.

"He is trapped on the ship," Angela said snapping out of her stunned distress.

She had stared at Alejandro for a long moment allowing his identity to sink in. It struck her very deeply and for a moment, behind the mask, she saw her own father and all that he had once stood for. The tears welled in her eyes but she fought them back with every ounce of her courage.

"He was captured by the pirates and even though they know who he is they plan to hold him until they set sail. I don't know what can be done," she added, "he told me to come straight here and that you would know what to do. I didn't understand it at first, but now I can see why he sent me here, but what can we do? The ship is overrun with pirates of the vilest disposition. They were sought out for this purpose and stowed away among the gentler crew. But you cannot be misguided by their looks. They may seem like merchants but they are not. It is all part of my grandmother's cunning falsehood."

"I have dealt with much worse, I can assure you of that," Alejandro said but the colour had left his face.

"We have to get back to that ship," Elena said betraying her exterior and allowing her panic to show.

"I'm coming with you," Angela said covering her face again.

"It will be too dangerous," Alejandro said.

"I am well trained Monsieur," she answered, her eyes set and determined, "besides I know my way around that ship and I must stop my grandmother and her pirates. I owe as much to my father. I cannot let this be the end of my work. I cannot go down without a fight; a fight for what is right."

"I don't believe you will stop her," Elena said, "and we'll need every advantage," she added and dawned a black hooded cloak.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Alejandro protested.

"You haven't a say in the matter. For the first time the women out number you," Elena said, mounted her horse and rode away.

Alejandro led Angela back through the dark house to her horse. Tornado had been left in the courtyard and they followed Elena into town.


	16. Joaquin's Escape

Chapter 16: Joaquin's Escape.

Joaquin sat for a long time in the darkness and the silence; feeling only the gentle movement of the ship and his slowed breathing. It had taken a long time for his eyes to focus into the deep darkness. He could feel that there were other people around him but they were silenced in their fear and hopeless in the sight of Joaquin de la Vega. If the son of one of the most wealthy and respected gentlemen was captured then what hope was there for them. Joaquin had felt the rest of them. He felt the hope leave the poor souls of the captives and he knew he would have to do something to save them. It was everything he had trained to do and here he was just sitting in the darkness thinking, not doing.

He looked around the dark cell and realized it was not the only one. There was a long row of sells on the starboard side of the ship. Down the center of the ship were huge log beams that supported the rafters and the next level that was above them. On the port side of the ship was another solitary row of cells and toward the bow was a wall the concealed the hidden passage. On the other side of the wall was a bank of bunks for the pirates that occupied the ship and with a pull from one side or a hefty push from the side Joaquin was on, he guessed he would be able to move the wall to set the prisoners free.

Suddenly he was on his feet and through himself at the door of the cell. It was an old ship. Primitive as far as new vessels go. The bars were made of iron and weakly forged together. He ran his hands over the hinges, felt the pins and the loose cracked barrels. They were not very sturdy. He was certain he would be able to break free. He gripped the last bar on the door and lifted with all his might. He felt the weakness of the door fighting against his strength. The bars gave off a retches creak and within seconds he was joined by others in the cell. They added their strength to his and the barrel of the door broke. They let the door rest where it had settled and Joaquin felt around the strained hinges and felt that the pins had been loosened from the barrel. The hinges had not fallen apart, nor had they come completely loose but the structure had changed. The pins had risen up in the barrel. Joaquin formulated his plans as he felt around in the darkness for something that he could use. The other prisoners pulled together all that they had. The simple remains of clothing, cloths and shoes. Joaquin was happy with a piece of worn leather that had been used as a primitive belt. He wrapped the leather around the protruding pin, climbed up on the bars, and pulled straight to the sky. He managed to pull the loose pins from the door hinges, which would allow the doors to be opened. In mute whispers he instructed the others in the cells that lined the walls to do the same to loosen the pins and one by one the doors came open.

The joy of being free was short lived among the captives. There was still the task of getting off the ship. They sat as Joaquin paced in the open darkness wondering where to go. The door could be pushed open but they did not know what was on the other side of it. Joaquin moved off alone to navigate the ships dark interior while the rest of the captives returned to the cells and returned the unlocked doors to their position to give the resemblance that everyone was still locked up, in the event that one of the pirates returned to the gallows.

Joaquin found his way out of the gallows and up through passages that lead into the common areas of the cargo ship. He hid in the shadows as he worked his way up and out, finding the easiest path. He then returned to the prisoners and taking a few at a time worked them out of the ship and to their freedom. Women and children were moved first. He brought them up and off the ship as fast as he could. Many of them crouched in the shadows and waited for the men to return and to help them back to their homes. They hid in the dark, sleepy, streets of the market, ducking into shadows and crouching behind carts and shop stalls.

A respect and dependence had bloomed from this act of charity from Joaquin de la Vega, more so then any schooling he could have ever been through. He realized in a moment as he stood before the freed prisoners that what he did, as the son of a gentlemen and what he did as the son of Zorro were going to be two different things. The people believed and hoped in Zorro but knew that he would not always be with them. But the respect and the protection that the dons and the gentlemen had provided was the livelihood of the people. Joaquin was respect because he was the son of a gentleman but up to this point he had not really done anything for the people. Now he was to be respected as a gentlemen and a good honest man. This man, who they had watched grow and who had been the most cherished possession of Alejandro and Elena de la Vega had now become everything that they had seen in Alejandro. He followed in his fathers footsteps in all his charitable works, in the goodness to his workers and his dedication to the development of society and the eradication of poverty for the people was what Joaquin had learned and he would be as good, if not better then his father. Joaquin, in that moment, did not need a mask or a sword to do what was right. He had the respect of the people and a bond with them that fought against the oppression that society had caused. They looked to him now as a leader, a teacher, a problem solver and a protector and he saw in their faces not fear but the respect that they had always shown his father.

Joaquin walked through the city streets with the prisoners, knocking quietly on doors and returning children and loved ones to their homes. He tried to suppress the joy that they were met with by hushing the people and rushing them into their homes. He instructed them to lock their doors and to go back to sleep. They needed the silence of the sleepy city to help them fully escape. One by one people went back to their homes, their families, husbands and wives, children and relations. Before the sun peaked over the horizon Joaquin was left alone. He was no longer afraid of what his future would hold and he felt a new dedication to the work of the day that he had long been molded and shaped to take over when Alejandro would not be the social face of the family. He knew now that this was just as important as the secret life he would live as Zorro.

He walked on alone, setting his sights on the distance. His journey on foot would be long, but he would eventually find himself back on his own land, with his own family and he longed not only to see his mother and father but to be of use to Angela. She had helped him, he knew her secret and now he vowed that he would protect her as he had protected the people.


	17. A Meeting on the Road

Chapter 17: A Meeting on the Road.

Elena pushed her horse forward with all the swiftness and anxiety she could put into the great beast. It felt her, and reacted to her, and in its flight it could feel that the woman who had for so long been calm, collected and compassionate was frantic. A panic and fear had descended on her as the night wore on. Much had happened and never before had her son been in danger like this; alone and captured she wished to be with him. She would put herself in a way to get onto that ship and to find her son. She knew that Alejandro was not far behind her and for a moment she did not think of herself but only her son.

All of the anxiety of her past years, of his knowing the family secret and stepping foot into the battle circle with his father, burst forth in her mind and the moment she had been dreading for so long had now come to pass. She had always known that he would follow in Alejandro's footsteps and yet she had always wished it would never come to pass. That something would happen that would set him on a different path and that some day they would give up their secrets to better times. But with statehood came more and more problems and Zorro had been needed by more people than she could have ever imagined. She wished and prayed that Joaquin would not have to become that person and as he showed more and more interest in the secret rather than his studies she knew that her hope would be lost. She was cursed to live in fear and worry for her family. The men she loved most in the world had chosen this path and would follow it to the ends of the earth and here she was, with them, in secret, riding to he son's aid, plotting and planning as she covered her face and disguised her body so as to not be know. The secret was as much her own as it was her families. She too was Zorro in more ways then she wished to admit.

The night seemed to wear on like a million years and yet it passed away very quickly. The sky was still dark but the horizon was showing the signs of light and new life. Day would dawn on them soon and the cover of shadows would disappear and make things much more difficult. A figure, dressed all in black, was difficult to hide in day light. Three made it even more difficult. They would have to hurry. She had left in such a panic that she had put much ground between herself and her husband. She could not hear the horses behind her, nor could she see them when she turned her head to glance behind her but she felt that he was on his way. She knew that Alejandro was feeling her panic and her distress. He was much better at hiding it then she was. He who had trained for this by her father, a man she was taken from and never knew. Alejandro spoke of him often and with the affection of a most beloved son. She envied him this but she was not going to let it tear her apart. She knew her father through Alejandro and watched her father in the way Alejandro taught and loved Joaquin. He was a good father, a brilliant fighter and a good, honest man. Alejandro had gained all of these traits from Diego de la Vega and now Joaquin was to walk in the footsteps of great men.

Elena slowed her frantic pace as she traveled. Ahead of her, traveling in the opposite direction was a man on the road. He looked tried, his head was bowed and he looked to be a worker. She could not risk herself and her panic for this peasant that traveled about in the near dawn moments. As she drew nearer the man raised his head. His clothing was dirty, but had the look not of the lower classes but upper class, and what they were, was under clothing. The darkness still hung around them as Elena road on, she slowed more and more as the figure came closer until finally she could see his face. Her heart jumped and she stopped.

"Mother," Joaquin asked as he looked up into her shadowed face.

Elena through off he hood and dropped to the ground off of her horse, "my darling son, what has happened to you?" she cried as she pulled him into her arms.

"What has happened to you?" Joaquin asked as he felt his mother shaking in his arms, "I am going home," he added.

"Angela came to us, late last night and now we are on our way to save you," Elena said, never letting go of her son.

"Mother, you seem to be alone," Joaquin laughed, "where is my father?"

"He is somewhere on the road behind me. I am sure he will be upon us shortly," Elena answered, "but how did you get away?" she asked.

"With the help of the prisoners, my cunning and a little bit of luck," Joaquin said.

"And without your clothing I see," his mother sighed.

"They were taken because they would take a price at some foreign market," Joaquin said, "I told you we spent too much on opulence when we should live more simply."

"You are a gentleman Joaquin, and must be respected," was his mothers answer.

"I am respected," Joaquin said taking his mothers hands, "I was respected simply because I was the son of a don and a gentleman, because my parents saw it fit to make me into a little aristocrat and though I have fought it all my life I understand now why I need to be that man. It was not Zorro that saved all those people tonight, it was I and I am going to continue to live my life in that way. It is my duty to protect the people and work for justice, as it has always been but I can do that in more ways then riding around in disguise and I thank you for making me into the man that I am. I owe much of it to you and your ideals for society because had it not been for you I would have followed father and I don't think he would be half the gentleman he is if it were not for you."

Tears spilled from her eyes as she listened to her son. He was not longer the boy that she had watched grow. He was a man, and a gentleman, even without his opulent clothing and carriages; he was a gentleman of great knowledge and advance skills.

Soon the sound of horses was heard behind them and Joaquin could see Tornado coming up the road, followed by another. They waited together as the sun began to peak over the horizon and flood the land in the bright colours of morning. Alejandro dismounted Tornado at the side of the road once he arrived and took his son into his arms. Angela stood back in silence not wanting to disturb the family.

Joaquin watched Angela over his fathers shoulder as he hugged his father. Her face was covered and he knew at once that this figure in black was more than he had first given her credit for. She was not the aristocratic woman of society. She was a mystery and a warrior, a person who had been stifled by the ideals of a corrupt woman. Joaquin vowed, to himself, that he would do all in his power to find justice for this woman.

"I want to thank you for trusting me and for coming to my rescue," Joaquin said as he walked over to Angela.

"You didn't need my help," she said lowering her eyes.

"Oh but I do," Joaquin smiled, "I have a plan and I am going to need you every step of the way because you are the only one who really knows what your grandmother is."

"I'll do all that I can," Angela said a blush covering her face.

"The roadside is no place to be developing plans," Alejandro interrupted as he mounted his horse and pulled his wife up behind him, "Take your mother's horse, Joaquin. Angela you will have to come back with us. We cannot risk you going back to your grandmother now," he added.

"She is sure to know I am gone by now," Angela said as she rushed to mount her own horse, "I don't know what she will do when she finds out I am gone. Without me she cannot have any claim to the fortune of my parents. She keeps me captive because of a special clause in my father's estate that she cannot break. She may get very violent."

"We need to know everything, but not here," Joaquin said as he began to follow his father, "we will go back to the hacienda, you will rest and so will I and we will begin our plan when everything is organized and you are feeling confident that we can help you."

"I trust you, Joaquin," Angela said as they pushed onward into the dawn and to the safety of the de la Vega hacienda.


	18. Joaquin's Grand Plan

Chapter 18: Joaquin's Grand Plan.

The sun had fully risen by the time Joaquin had rested, washed and dressed to meet the family and their guest. He had not found sleep easily when he was finally able to find his bed. The journey home had seemed longer then he had first anticipated it would be and by the time he mounted his mothers horse he realized just how exhausted he was but his mind was happily engaged as he watched Angela ride along beside him. When they arrived at the house Angela was taken away by Elena and her ladies maid and Joaquin had his father arranged everything in the under ground lair before they too retired.

He found his room pulled the drapes and fell into the complete darkness happily and ready to sleep but it was impossibly for him to stop his mind from wandering. He was too preoccupied with thoughts of Angela. He wanted to know of her family, the fortune and everything that her father had taught her, as well as, everything that her grandmother had done. Lucky for Joaquin his body really was exhausted and sleep finally did force Angela from his mind, that was until he woke up again and realized that she was beneath the same roof.

Rushing down through the house, Joaquin searched in all the common areas looking for a trace of the mysterious young woman. He found her in the company of his mother in the garden admiring he flowers and looking radiant in the mid day sunlight.

Elena had dressed her in a more casual Californian style. Her hair was loose and flowing in the breeze, her gown was light and the parasol trimmed in lace. She looked delicate, like the flowers of Elena's garden and yet she was a strong, courageous woman and looked it next to Elena. She strolled along with Joaquin's mother and calmness had come over her. She looked very comfortable in conversation about whatever women talked about when in private confidence with each other. She even laughed and the sound of it was sweet and calming. Her smiled made her face light up and the pleasure of the morning danced in her eyes.

Joaquin took this opportunity to join the ladies and enjoy the midday sun but Angela became anxious when he came into view.

"You have all been so kind but I must know what is too happened. What is your plan?" she asked as soon as he was near enough.

Joaquin laughed and in a familiar way took his mothers arm and began to stroll with them.

"My plan," he said, "is to openly parade you around with my family and to come out and tell your grandmother that I know her secret and that it was her mistake to underestimate the people of California," he added.

"Oh goodness you cannot," Angela gasped.

"You misunderstand my dear," Elena smiled to comfort her.

"We are a very well known family, your grandmother would be a fool to try anything in the daylight and getting entangled with the de la Vega family openly and on negative terms is social suicide here," Joaquin laughed.

"And secretly trying to get to us, as you know, is also very unwise," Elena whispered, "We are all very well trained in the arts of protection. I assure you we have been fighting most, if not all of our lives against people such as your grandmother and the strangers she bring into our country. No, I rather like Joaquin's plan and I believe that a very public shopping excursion is in order this afternoon," she smiled, "after all your European fashions are too formal for California and I happen to know that the market will be full of new arrivals and many artisan works today. It is the best day of the week to go shopping and I am half expected to show up."

"And as I have people to check up on, mostly those whom I escaped with last night, and my father has tenants to visit with I believe it will be quite the family affair and you are already rumored to have connections with the family. It will not be far fetched to see you out with us and you have been kept captive long enough. I am sorry princess but we must break your spell of secrecy and enchantment and show the people that you are but a wealthy heiress from Europe come to visit. The curiosity was quite high you know and it is not right to keep the people waiting in such suspense. It is time for you to really enjoy California and your stay here. We will take you out and we will show you a wonderful afternoon," Joaquin said with a smile.

"But I have been missing all night," Angela said taking his arm

"Ah but you shall be found safe and sound and in high spirits with us," Joaquin said.

"I do hope you are a good actor my dear, for I am and I plan to act the part of extravagant hostess," Elena said as she lifted her chin, gave a little skip and began to walk proudly and pompously around the garden.

Angela smiled a little, "I do have high European training in the social arts," she said a little timidly but with a gleam in her eyes.

"Ah yes and I plan to be quite the flirt if you will permit me Senorita," Joaquin said as he mockingly bowed to her.

"I would be delighted with a good flirtation it has been years, monsieur," she smiled coquettishly and began to fan her face.

"And your father will observe," Elena said with a giggle, "there shall be no fun for Alejandro today."

"As is always the case when we put a plan into motion is it not?" Joaquin asked his mother mockingly.

"Always my son," Elena laughed and they walked on.


	19. Angela and the De La Vegas

Chapter 19: Angela and the de la Vegas

Later that afternoon Joaquin met his mother and Angela in the front of the hacienda where the carriage waited and Alejandro stood looking out across the fields. Alejandro was a proud man. He had accomplished so much in his life and the home he had made for his family and the people he protected were his legacy. It was this hacienda and the good that came from him and his workers that made him the kind and generous land owner and employer. His tenants were happy and kind and if ever they needed anything he was the first to be present on their farms to lend a hand or celebrate with them the harvest of the additions to their families. He saw them as his own family and cherished all the time he spent with them. Looking out on his property now and seeing how far it stretched out before him brought him great pride.

Elena was also a proud woman and content with the changes that had occurred in her life. Alejandro had showed her was good honest work and kindness could obtain. He was a leader and a guiding force in the community and although he had many secrets his greatest accomplishments were those he achieved with her at his side. They did Good for the community and the woman looked up to Elena as a powerful and proficient mistress. She had leaned how to work the field with the other woman and had taught many what it really meant to be a lady.

As Joaquin watching his parents now and saw what it was that they had really accomplished he was proud of them and he wanted to do the same; to make them proud and to be a kind and honest man. For the first time in his life he saw himself taking on the position that his father held and doing what he had done. He saw himself with a good and strong wife at his side and surprisingly enough he believed that Angela could be that woman and by having her under the tutelage of his mother she would be groomed for a position that and place of honor that Elena held.

Angela was dressed in high fashion, as to Elena's taste, and she walked with a sense of pride that for a moment caught Joaquin off guard. He knew that she was a beautiful woman but the confidence she now portrayed and the absence of fear and obedience made her even more powerful and alluring. She was more and more the woman he wished for and could see himself with. Love had been such a misunderstood presence for him, for a very long time, but now he began to think of her in terms of a life partner and someone that could do well and be good at his side.

Alejandro handed his wife and their guest into the carriage and followed them into it. Joaquin traveled along beside them on horse back. He had never been a fan of riding in the carriage, it was always so hot and stuffy in the Californian weather and with one extra person it would have been nearly impossible to find any comfort although he longed to be seated that close to the woman that had captivated him even know he knew that for propriety sake she would be seated next to his mother and that the closes they would get would be the discomfort of their knees touching each others.

Angela watched out the carriage window in silence as Joaquin road along beside them. He was a strong and regal character and for the first time she let her self fall into the idea of admiring him from afar. He, and his family, had been so kind and she had become trusted within their circle and yet there was still a static secret that played within them. She did not know where the energy was coming from but there was always something playing between them. A glance, or a touch would speak thousands of words between them and the sounds of the ground or an echo in the halls of the hacienda would send shivers down ones spine without knowing why. The horses that they kept ran free in a pasture and Alejandro watched them with what seemed like a secret passion and understanding. He listened to them and the smallest change in them would send him into action.

She watched now as Alejandro stared off out the window of the opposite side of the carriage. What was he thinking about? Was he planning how things would fall into place? Did he think of seeking revenge for what her grandmother had done to his son and to his tenants? She couldn't tell but the same question plagued her when she looked at Elena. It was very clear to her that this family worked together in all that they did and all that they kept secret from the world. She wondered if she could ever feel a sense of belonging like this in her own life. Or even know the goodness that others felt from the De La Vega family.

The journey to the center of the city was not a long one and Angela was snapped out of her revelries by the opening of the carriage door. Joaquin looked in at her and smiled and held out his hand to help her descend into the busy market streets. She took his hand and though she wasn't should why she knew that she was trembling. His grip on her was strong but gentle and for a moment she felt the butterflies within her.

"Are you alright?" Joaquin asked the concern on his face very visible.

"Perhaps I have been too long in the carriage," Angela said weakly and casting her eyes to the ground she felt her face blush and she scolded herself for being so foolish.

"Then the walk will do you some good," Joaquin said as she took his arm, "I always find it far too stuffy in the carriages."

"As do I," Angela smiled, "but it is not proper for a lady to be rushing about the country side on horse back," she sighed.

"I assure you," Joaquin smiled, "that here in California it is quite alright."

"Then perhaps I will have to go riding with you some other time," Angela smiled.

Elena followed Angela out of the carriage as Alejandro came around from the other side and aloud his wife to take his arm, "and so what would you like to see first," Alejandro asked as they began to walk about.

"I think what we should be looking for first is Angela's grandmother," Joaquin said in a whisper.

"As stealthily as possible," Alejandro answered him.

"That is absolutely no fun for the ladies," Elena said with a sigh, "you boys keep an eye open for that foul woman and Angela and I shall start shopping."

Angela giggled as Elena took her arm and led her away from the men who scanned the crowd and greeted the other Dons that passed them.

Elena was quite the avid shopper, as it turned out, and she led Angela to all of the stalls and booths of her favorite seamstresses, bakers and farmers. It was very easy to see that many wonderful products and fresh produce were available and though Angela had very little spending money on her she was able to enjoy herself and laugh at the extravagance that Elena exuded.

Alejandro was never far from his wife when they did appear in public. He carried with him a small purse and it never took long for Elena to empty it. She was having a grand time as they passed through the streets with Angela in tow and soon they had made their way up and down the market street.

Finally Alejandro spotted the strange woman emerge from a dark corner as she spotted them on the street. The woman moved quickly and gave him every little time but with a glance at his wife the needed information was relayed to Angela and Joaquin and soon the gayeties of the shopping trip became over exaggerated. Angela laughed at Joaquin's jokes toward his mother and Elena playfully scolded him by draping over his shoulders a bright blue fabric that she threatened to have his next great coat fabricated from. Angela fanned herself as she giggled and played along.

"That colour would be divine on you Monsieur de la Vega," She giggled as he grandmother came up to them.

"If you think so, Senorita then I shall consent to having it made up in the high gentleman's style," Joaquin smiled and gave a very deep bow.

"Now, now, my son, you are falling prey to the women," Alejandro said shaking his head, "you will be a laughing stock if you wear that!"

"Where have you been, child?" The old woman hissed as she grabbed Angela and turned her, forcibly, away from the de la Vega entourage.

"I have been with the de la Vega's," Angela hissed and pulled herself away from her grandmother, "it is what you wanted, was it not, grandmamma?"

"I would ask you kindly, Madame, to not touch the young woman," Joaquin said as he stepped between Angela and her grandmother.

"You are not her chaperone Monsieur, and I should think you would not want to jeopardize her propriety in such cases as these," The woman hissed.

"Propriety is far from our worries Madame," Alejandro said as he motioned to a dark side of the street and an ally in which they would be well concealed and able to talk, "I believe there are greater evils to be concerned with. There are pirates about," he added in a whisper and the woman's face turned read.

"Or perhaps you were not aware of the captivities that have recently occurred," Joaquin said.

"No one is safe you know," Elena hissed, "my son was captured but he is a very bright young man. He was quite capable of freeing himself and the others from the captivity of the vessel which held them."

"Yes, strangely enough, it happens to be the vessel you arrived on," Joaquin said stepping between Angela and the old woman.

"What are you accusing me of Monsieur de la Vega?" the old woman hissed.

"Not accusing, grandmamma, he knows the truth of my captivity at your hands," Angela said coming forward.

"You little minks," the old woman spat.

"My lady, is that any way to speak to a young woman of breading?" Elena gasped.

"You stay out of this," The old woman yelled, "It is none of your concern."

"Perhaps not," Elena said as she brought herself up to her full height and towered over the old woman, "but I can be very persuasive and I assure you that you will not be welcomed into any social circles within this city or any, for that matter, in California for your treachery."

"We are relieving you of your duties over Angela and if you feel it is in your rights to fight this decision then we will involve the authorities here and in France and Spain. Your reign of terror to this poor girl is over," Alejandro said, "I suggest that you release any prisoners that you may have aboard your ship, immediately or we will have the Californian authorities aboard by this evening with Joaquin to show them in inner most secrets that it protects."

"And as for the dowry and property that is entrusted to Angela, I think it is wise that you give up any idea you may hold of one day returning to it yourself for you are undeserving and corrupted. You belong in a prison or worse the poor house!" Joaquin stated.

"You have not heard the last of me," The old woman hissed, "that property is mine, that girls fortune is mine and no gold digging Californian will lay hands on it," she said and turned back into the busy street.

"That was not what I expected," Angela said as the colour left her face.

"Me either," Joaquin stated, "I think we should return to the hacienda and come back in better cover to watch her very carefully."

"I will return," Alejandro said, "I don't think our hacienda is safe, nor is the city. Zorro is needed here, and I need you at home."

Elena looked pleadingly at her husband but nodded her understanding as she rushed back to the carriage. Alejandro forced Joaquin into the carriage with the women and took the horse for himself and road off ahead of them.

The carriage picked up pace as it made its way out of the city but Alejandro was already out of their site.


	20. A Pirate Raid

Chapter 20: A Pirate Raid

The ride back to the Hacienda was quiet and quick and filled with a silence that was energized like a lightning storm. Elena ran her hands over each other and watched as the country side passed by her. Her silence was a worried one and her eyes darted frantically over the country, watching every rock, tree and dwelling that they passed; she sat riveted and ready to strike.

Joaquin was much in the same mind set. He planned and plotted silently as they rushed toward home. His father had put him in charge and in the place of protector for the women and the house as well as all that dwelled and worked within it. There was strangeness on the wind and a thickness in the air that seemed to make things more and more confusing.

Angela sat silently watching them and becoming more worried. She knew what her grandmother was capable of and had seen the treachery of the pirates that she had traveled with. She knew she didn't have to tell the de la Vega's about it because they could already tell. It was like a sixth sense between them and they just knew that danger was all around them and that many people were not to be trusted just as they knew who they could trust and who knew their secrets. She was prepared to do everything in her power to work with them and protect their livelihood from the terror that had accompanied her to the new world.

Dusk came slowly as the de la Vegas worked frantically to protect the hacienda. There was a thickness in the air, a strangeness that had come over the land and with Alejandro away from them; it was up to Elena and Joaquin to protect the valuables of their house. Something was bound to happen. It had been written on the old woman's face and as soon as they arrived at home Joaquin had whisked Angela away into the protection of the house and Elena began to shout orders to the people that worked under her care.

Valuable things were moved and packed into trunks and placed in a spot that only Elena knew would be protected. Boxes of silver, swords, pistols and other valuable materials were placed in crates in the grand dining room and as the workers of the hacienda left Joaquin would push and shove the crates through the secret passage and into the lair that remained a secret to all the people that were close to them. Soon everything was well stashed away and the fire in the grand dining room was lit and the table set for dinner to disguise the room and the secrets there in. Angela and Elena worked around Joaquin to make the hacienda look as it would for grand guests but the things they put out were of little value to the family and were there in the event of an ambush or raid of any kind.

When the house was secured and the workers were safe and prepared for a strange evening all that was left was the waiting. Though there was nothing that gave the workers any idea as to what was to happen they were uneasy with all the preparation but were very grateful to have the protection that they found at the hacienda. The workers were provided with weapons to protect them selves and exits and way to get away should anything happen at the hacienda. Joaquin was very thorough with his instructions and though he was panicked he was trying to keep everyone calm and collected in the wake of the storm.

Angela and Elena sat together in a drawing room; Epées stashed beneath the ruffles of the elegant table cloth and pistols tucked into the folds of their gowns. An elegant afternoon tea had been set on the table before them with many local and European delicacies but it went untouched as they continued to wait and the sun continued to set.

Joaquin could not be calm he paced through the house checking door and windows as he listened to every sound and every shift in the wind. He watched the horizon and prayed with all his might that his father was safe and that his instinct and the terrible feelings he had, the foreboding that he felt and the strange static that was on the evening air.

"Do you really think we can protect this house against the villainy of those pirates?" Angela asked as she shifted in her seat and brought her eyes to look into Elena's

"This house is a fortress and it is meant to keep many secrets but pirates have many secrets of their own," Elena said the worry on her face did not make Angela any more comfortable.

Joaquin took up his guard from an upper balcony that looked out in the direction of the city. A long portion of their own property bordered on the ocean and the cliffs could be seen rising in the distance to the west but he did not believe that the pirates would bring their ships around when there was much more damage to be done to the city. In the pit of his stomach he believed that was where the primary damage would be done. They would fight the peasant classes, take hostages, pillage and plunder whatever they could lay their hands on and take refuge in the fortress of the ship they kept. But he also believed that there was enough anger in the old woman to come after his house and its occupants. She needed Angela for her money and her land and so it would mean taking her back to the land of her birth by any means and destroying all that was in her path. He believed that they had underestimated her and that her power was much greater than they had initially assumed but she was an old woman and a woman of treachery. There was no way to predict what would happen now.

As the sun set Joaquin watched as his fears were answered and a strange glow rose up over the city. There was fire and a lot of it. He wanted more than anything to go and help. The city had not seen an attack by pirates in many years, far before Joaquin or even his father was born. Would they know how to defend themselves or would they look to the defender of the people. Would Zorro be able to do enough with hundreds of pirates reeking havoc all around him. The hair began to stand on the back of his neck as the flames grew higher and higher and the sound of horses could be heard on the road.

Suddenly the pirates were upon them, coming up over the cliff as the white sails and the Jolly Roger showed itself on the western edge of the de la Vega property. The horses came rushing at the house as more men flew across the field with a super human speed. Joaquin stood in shock and watched it as they came at his home and then suddenly his warrior instinct set in. The house was locked, the servants ready to fight to the death and three of the best swordsmen Joaquin knew of were locked within.

He turned from his perch on the balcony, bolted the door and barricaded it with a long length of wood and made his way back through the house to the drawing room where his mother and Angela sat in a state of suspended fear. Suddenly there came a crashing on the front door and the sound of breaking glass and then the yelled of the blood thirsty pirates.

"It is time," Joaquin said as he looked around the room and he, his mother and the woman he had come to esteem over any other stood together, pistols aimed at the door and swords in their hands. They would not go down without a fight and in this room they, and only they, knew of the root to escape.


	21. Scorched Black Sails on the Horizon

Chapter 21: Scorched Black Sails on the Horizon

And as quickly as it had begun it was over. The battle was fierce but the de la Vega hacienda was no match for the pirates and the shear destruction that they reaped. They had not come for valuable but had come to bring revenge on the family that had ridiculed their captain and to take back what she believed was hers to take. Angela was never seen as a person by this woman or the pirates she employed but as a commodity and a means to an end and a great fortune that waited for them all back in Europe. By the time Alejandra arrived home the damage had been done and the scorched sails of the pirate ship were visible on the horizon; mockingly escaping free of the terror they had instilled in the people and redeemed from the theft of their precious cargo that Joaquin had set free. Freedom for all had come with a great price and as the flames licked the sky the destruction was complete.

The men had forced there way in through the massive grand entrance bringing the solid wooden front doors down and crashing through the glass of the windows, of every window in the hacienda, but the entrance hall was bare. They then disbursed around the house and the shouts of the old woman could be heard echoing off the stone and mortar.

She shouted directions and on with wind came the call to set everything ablaze, "burn it to the ground," she yelled out, "bring me the girl and have no mercy on anyone that you come across. Destroy everything!" she laughed and chanted as glass broke, drapery ripped and wooden matter crackled and popped along with her sinister laughter.

She was the first to lay eyes on the scene in the sitting room. The door was forced in and the smell of smoke and sweat preceded her into the room. Joaquin stood with the women behind him, his sword drawn and ready to fight to the death. The women showed no fear although their hearts beet face and they could hear the sound of it in their ears. They were strong and brave and ready to fight for their own freedom and prove that the terror that the pirates portrayed was unwanted and not affecting them as terrible as it was.

The old woman laughed at the sight as a hand full of her pirates followed her into the room.

"It was you who underestimated me," The old woman said as a thick silence fell in the room as the shouts and screams could be heard coming from all around the hacienda, "you thought that you could take from me what is rightfully mine; I who have been a pirate and feared the world over all my life. You will never underestimate me again," she laughed and motioned more pirates into the room, "take the girl, kill the rest," she added to the men that stood around her emerged on the scene and attacked with the speed and fierceness of a pack of wolves.

The pirates surged on the de la Vega's, torches blazing and pistols held before them, but they were caught off guard by the fierceness of the woman and Joaquin. There wasn't a fear in their eyes but anger for the attack and the disruption of the peace and tranquility of this well established home. The longer they started the more the pirates began to feel the energy that filled the air.

Shots rang out from the pistols that the women carried and the sudden shock of the women being armed was enough to give Joaquin the advantage. He rushed forward, slaying two men before the echo of the shots had died down and he stood face to face with the old woman herself. She was shocked to see him so close and she stepped backward in panic. He reached out as steel on steel was heard behind him and the women began to fight the pirates that had regained their composure but not the upper hand.

Angela fought with the strength of a million men and disposed of every pirate that stepped before her. Her hand was sure and true and from the corner of her eye she could see the strength and the proficiency of Elena who worked beside her. She too was untouched and working with the proficiency of a skilled fighter.

The pirates that surged forward; baring witness to the scene of the two women killing their colleagues, was just as surprising as the idea of a man standing up to their captain. They had felt the need for a great revenge for the attack on their captain and her propriety. They had never imagined the idea of someone more fierce or as cunning as the woman that led them and though they has spent much time with the young woman before them they had no idea of her technique or her talent. She had been well taught and not even they could believe themselves unaffected by her expertise. She was fast and fierce and brought up as a fighter to protect herself and those she loved from the terrible people of the world. They knew that she had a fire burning in her heart that was unbelievable vibrant and vivid in her fighting and the people that fought along with her were a force to be reckoned with. There was no winning this battle between men and women but the destruction of their attack was complete. The flames blazed thought the house and they now fought, not to take the woman back into captivity, but for their own lives. A cry of fear rang out among the pirates and they began to retreat.

"No, you have underestimated us," Joaquin said as he reached out and grabbed the sword from the woman's hand and knocked the pistol from her other hand with a movement from his left leg that she was not expecting, "you should never have underestimated the power of your granddaughter, your flesh and blood, how could you believe that she would not have the warrior spirit that you have and that her father have. Your unlucky truth is that the man who fathered that young woman was a man of good quality and thought you may have a villainous streak he was a man who taught his daughter to protect people from the likes of you and you have to know now that people like us always find each other. You Madame are defeated!"

Fire flashed in her eyes as Joaquin placed his own blade at her neck and turned to the women who had been most capable of defeating the small number of pirates that had followed the woman into the room.

"You see," Joaquin hissed into her ear, "you will pay, greatly, for descending on this house."

Suddenly there was a great cashing sound from out in the hall and smoke billowed into the drawing room. The roof had started to come down with the fire that was set by the pirates and Joaquin jumped away from the door releasing the old woman as the flames licked at the door and the only exit from the drawing room. The old woman laughed at the fear in the young man's eyes and back toward the flames that were coming through the door.

"You've not heard the last of me," The old woman laughed pointing a threatening finger at Angela as she disappeared into the fire and smoke.

"I am not afraid of you!" Angela yelled after the old woman, "I will defeat you!"

Elena gasped as the woman fled. The room was filling with smoke and panic had begun to set in. She rushed for the windows and with the blunt end of her pistol she smashed the glass and began to climb out.

Once outside the damage from the battle was evident. The hacienda had been set ablaze from the grand entrance to the rear and the servant's quarters. The roof had collapsed in the great hall but the rest of the house burned slowly but steadily. The grounds were on fire, the stables and the fences, the ground and the crops that encircled the house and gardens were a wasteland of tumbled branches and destroyed flowers.

The terrible pirates could be seen rushing across the fields to the edge of the cliffs, the horses and other live stock frantically runny around to escape the blaze. The servant class that worked for the de la Vega family was also frantically trying to put out the fire and rescue the animals from the stables that had also been set ablaze. There was no one left to stop them and though the fire rushed through the dry fields it did not hinder the pirates escape. The sails of the ship were black and scotched themselves as they fled land and headed out to sea. There was no stopping them now.


	22. In Pursuit

Chapter 22: In Pursuit

The damage to the hacienda was extensive, it would have to be completely rebuilt and no crop would be had from the fields that were closes to the house, but the damage to the city and the loss of life was even more devastating. Although the hacienda was destroyed the people that lived and worked within it were unharmed. Pirates had perished by the blades and pistols of the protection to the hacienda and though there were injuries to the servants there was no death there within. To make matter worse the fugitives had escaped, those that survived; their sails could be seen, mockingly on the horizon, while the village burned behind them.

"What can be done?" Angela asked feeling helpless as the adrenalin wore off and the extent of the damage began to play out before her eyes, "there has to be something that I can do. This is all because of me," she said as the tears began to well in her eyes.

"That woman cannot get away with this," Elena said, tears in her eyes, as she looked at her home, her fields and the people that were within her protection.

"We will have to rebuild," Joaquin said sadly as he stared up at the destroyed house and frantic workers.

"We will rebuild," Elena sighed, "It will all come together in the end and we will be quite comfortable I am sure," she said trying to be optimistic, "but I don't know what can be done for the village."

Alejandro road up on Tornado, his Zorro disguise scorched and filthy, he was slumped in his saddle and smelled of smoke and burnt flesh. There was devastation written all over his face and as he arrived he removed his masked slumped off the horse and looked up at the burning hacienda and the devastation to his land and his family.

"This devastation is never ending," he said as he looked to his wife and she fell into his arms, "so many have been killed in the village. I couldn't save them all. the village is destroyed and the living and the prosperity that we had once seen has been taken away from us now."

"I could have never imagined this," Elena sobbed.

"We've failed," Alejandro sighed as he dropped his sword and even Tornado looked like he wanted to lay down on the scorched earth and die.

"We cannot talk like this," Joaquin said looking at his devastated parents, "not us, we have to be optimistic, we have to fight, we have to rebuild and prove that we can persevere even under such devastating circumstances and we must follow those pirates and we must make them pay."

"They will be returning to France," Angela said softly, "there is no doubt about that, it is where my grandmother keeps her residence and where many of the pirates are based. Their plan was to return, I know this much from my investigations, and so I will return to greet them with the proper authorities," She said her mind set and her eyes determined.

"But by which authority will you have them charged?" Alejandro asked, "California was never the property of France and it is no longer a colony of Spain but Free State within the United States," he said sadly, "without the pirates here we cannot hope for compensation."

"But we can hope for revenge," Angela said her anger now visible, "it was one thing for my grand mother to do this to me, to force upon me her will and her captivity but to do this to people of status and a village unprotected is villainy in the most vulgar way. I will not rest until she had paid for what she has done or I will make her life hell by always being in her way."

"Joaquin will go with you," Elena said as she dried her tears and looked at the young woman, determination in her eyes, "he will be the voice of California and the people that have been injured by this tragedy and he will be the help and chaperone you need to combat that evil woman's authority. He will have everything he will need from his father and I and you will show that woman that she will not escape us ever!"

"But what of our home and the people that we protect, you will need me here to help rebuild and to help with the protection of the poor," Joaquin said as he felt all of the ties and responsibility of his position.

"We will be fine without you," Alejandro said, "your mother and I have seen what this community can do for one another and I am sure that with a little positive reinforcement from the Dons and Zorro we will be well on our way to rebuilding and working together. I am convinced that your mother is right, you are needed on the continent with the young lady, to make right what wrongs have come to pass and though I do not believe that revenge is always the answer, in this case some for of retaliation is in order. You are a very smart and cunning young man, I have taught you all I can teach you and now it is up to you to put into action what your heart really tells you."

"I will do my best," Joaquin said, still not feeling confident.

"It is time for you to make a name for yourself, my son," Elena said as she pulled him into her arms, "I know this is the right thing. You will make us proud."

"I will be quite happy to have you with me," Angela smiled weakly but with desire in her eyes, "I would not be able to travel on my own or without a chaperone. It will be impossible to gain access to some places and much of my estate without you."

"I will do everything I can to protect you and help you along with this voyage," Joaquin smiled his heart filled with a hope he had never had before. It wasn't that he was wanting to be away from his family at this time, to help and to rebuild and to prove that he was as good man as his father, but there was a sudden hope that he could prove himself worthy of this woman and though he had never been to Europe or really wanted to take up his place in high society he was willing to do that for this girl, in the hopes that he may bring her back someday.


	23. The Grand Voyage

Chapter 23: The Grand Voyage

When the fire was out and a silence and peace descended on the country side, Joaquin, Angela and his parents began at once to make things right. The fire had not reached as far as the secret lair that rested beneath the de la Vega hacienda but it was not the place for them to remain hidden. Many of their possessions had been lost and yet the most important and secret items had been saved by the family secret and much of what Joaquin would need to travel back with Angela had been saved. His father was prepared to send him off equipped for battle and well funded.

As for Alejandro and Elena, they needed to be visible and confident in the presence of such destruction and so it was set that Alejandro and Elena would take up residence, for the time being, in the village, among the peasants who had lost everything. To begin to show a unity among the people to rebuild, and prove that it was not only the lower classes but the upper classes as well that had been affected by the terrible pirates. A tent city was build within hours and though much was destroyed and many people were feeling the terror that had just passed, many were optimistic and much would be rebuilt.

By the time the sun began to rise over the destroyed village and the people were able to really see the extent of the damage, many had already set to work to make things livable and bring some comfort back to the village. The churches within the area were well build and not as affected by the fires and so many people were able to take refuge in the churches and many of the priests prepared meals and gave assistance to those in need. There was a new renewal in the faith of the people and many found hope and refuge in the light of the of the resurrection and the suffering that had once been endured for them and now they would be brave in the suffering they had face.

Joaquin and Angela set out on their journey as soon as they knew that everything was settled for the village. Cleaning was started, buildings that were beyond repair were demolished and the work was going to start as the authorities and a work force began to arrive from around California. The news of the devastation had spread quickly through the monasteries and the travelers that passed through and soon the city was over run with people and supplies that would help in the rebuilding. Ships began to arrive from other Californian ports, from Mexico and work had even spread to larger ports across the United States. The state of emergency was granted and from there work had begun to rebuild and protect the small sea side village and hope was restored.

Joaquin remained with his family, with Angela by his side, for the destruction of the unsalvageable parts of the Hacienda. Much of their stuff was completely destroy and as the remainder of the house and the surrounding buildings came down Joaquin could not help but feel a part of him being destroyed with it. His whole childhood disappeared in the rubble of the house that has been his safety, his refuge and the keeper of all his secrets. Suddenly he felt the weight of the world, like he had never felt it before because he was among the people that had lost everything and he felt for what he had once been. He was a selfish and spoiled child, someone who had always had everything and who had thought he was just like everyone else, but he really wasn't and although he knew from experience and age that he was different and he fought so hard to make people equal it took this devastation and destruction to bring him down to a level like everyone else. Even then he knew that things would be rebuilt for him and that his father's estate was wealthy enough to reestablish them in their high statues but for the rest of the people that were being affected by the tragedy they would have to continue to struggle.

Alejandro watched the change in his son and the change in the girl that did not stray far from his side. A touch from Angela and Joaquin's spirits would be restored and he worked hard, not for himself but for the people that needed his help. He spent much of his time not working for the family but working for the families that lived on the property. He had been a key figure in the rebuilding of the farms and though there wasn't a lot of time left in the season he had helped to replant and clear the fields. His big struggle was to see the people around him well established because he knew that even though the hacienda had come down around them, his family was safe and Alejandro was always the first person to assure him that his family would be safe.

Angela on the other hand had lived a life of luxury, much like Joaquin, but she had never worked as he had worked. Joaquin had been brought up to understand the struggles of other people and to work for equality although he knew he would never be equal to them. Angela however was a selfish creature. She worked hard for the tasks that her father had put before her, but as long as her mother was alive, she would be a lady and brought up to be a house keeper and the well accomplished woman. Music, embroidery and painting served for nothing now in this world of work and heat but she did her best. The women of the village opened their arms to her and although she didn't know anything that they did she learned quickly and although she was slow and her hands and feet hurt because of the labour she tried very hard. Aside for the work that she was doing she was also watching Joaquin break his back with the other men. There were days when he would blend in to the crowds of people, he and his father, working side by side, covered in filth and working nearly naked in the scorching sun. Elena ever fit into the working class wearing simple, light clothing and working up to her elbows in the earth that yielded most of the food for the village and much of the revenue that helped the village survive.

Angela swallowed her pride more often then not and joined in the labour, learning to plant and harvest, milk cows and spin wool. Many of the animals had survived and so they needed attention as the men rebuilt the world around them. There were days when Joaquin looked like he was ready to give up and for a fleeting moment Angela felt his pain and wanted to quit but she had grown so fond of him and to esteem him above so many other men that she couldn't allow herself to give up and she did all that she could to encourage him to do his best and a smile, or a touch would push him on.

When Joaquin and Angela were convinced that the city would be alright and that all that they could do to help had been done they let themselves leave the family that had developed around them. The hard work and the scorching sun had changed their looked dramatically but they were happy and excited about the voyage before them. Many of the men, women and children that they had been helping came to see them off as the ship that they had bought passage on arrived in the harbor. The ship had come from Europe bringing with it many necessities that could be used by the people that had lost so much and as the ship arrived a great joy descended on the city.

The night before they left a fiesta was held in the city center for them and though there had been so much sadness, great joy and music was had at the prospects of a new beginning and the possibility that some day they would know that Joaquin and Angela had done well in finding consolation for them. They wanted to know that the woman and the men that she had brought with her would be apprehended and charged for their treachery and Joaquin vowed not only to his family but to every family he knew that he would do everything in his power to make things right for the city.

When morning arrived and the sights and sounds of the party had died away the crowds that gathered on the decks to bid farewell to their prodigal son were enormous, but the excitement was among them and even though Angela had arrived with the terror she was leaving as someone they saw as one of their own. She had never felt the belonging she felt from the community she had been adopted into and she wanted more than anything to stay, but she knew she had to go but in the back of her mind and to all the people that she had come to love and cherish for accepting and helping her she promised that she would return.

Joaquin felt the weight of leaving very personally, he felt homesick the moment he followed Angela up the gangplank. He had never left his family before and never embarked on anything that would take him so far from home and yet there was still a great excitement just on the horizon and as he looked at Angela and saw the sadness in her eyes and knew it was from leaving he knew he would follow her to the ends of the world if only to see her smile.


	24. The Vastness of the World

Chapter 24: The Vastness of the World

The crossing of the ocean was very long and mysterious. Days and nights passed in sequence but that was the only normality that followed them from the new world back to the old. This idea of traveling back to a place where everything had begun was, for Joaquin, a magical and mysterious adventure. Not only were there man made dangers at sea but there was also the supernatural; the behaviors of the wind and the waves that were unexplainable and sometimes very frightening. The men aboard the ships were superstitious in every thing that they did and they followed a code of conduct as to not anger the sea that had become the mistress of them all. The sea and the wind seemed to live on together, as a strange and volatile couple; fighting and dancing, both by moonlight and by sunlight. They crashed and sang to one another and change came to the sea and the wind, sometimes calmly like the whispers of a lover and sometimes violently like the devastation of war. The voyage by sea had always been very unpredictable times for the travelers but nothing could dampen their determination to make things right and seek out revenge for what had been done to the.

When Joaquin first embarked on the journey he was intrigued by the sheer size of the adventure that stretched itself out before him. He was leaving his old life behind him and changing the course of his life. He was ready for action and though it had taken time to prepare and to rebuild, the want for revenge was still seething within him. The nasty old woman had destroyed his home, sent his mother into a very depressing state and his father was second guessing himself and the things he had always done and Joaquin was determined to seek revenge for his family and for the young woman who had lived most of her life by the tyranny of the old woman, but as the journey by sea dragged on, taking him farther and farther away from his home land, the more he realized that he really didn't have a plan and without his fathers guidance he was feeling lost and very unsure of his abilities. It was almost as if he had left Zorro, and the secrets that had and would become his own, all behind him and nothing of his training or his cunning would be of use when he reached the mother land of his ancestors. He was alone in his adventure and what he decided to do was not by the guidance of his father or his family but it was all one him self now and the woman whom he had grown to love.

With every passing day Joaquin began to second guess himself and as he sat and thought about his life, as there was little else to do, he realized just how arrogant and foolish his youth had been. He would have to be more responsible and more gentlemanlike, and yet he would always follow in his fathers footsteps. He had only just started to learn the things that would truly make him a man and it was all thanks to the young woman he was spending many days and night with.

Spending so much time at sea and within the confines of the ship was not a welcome adventure for Joaquin. At first he had been interested in the adventure and looked forward to the voyage, but the captivity of miles and miles of water all around him and no where to go but the decks and to wander the darkness of the ships interior, felt like captivity and Joaquin became uneasy and distressed with every passing day but a change had occurred in the woman he traveled with.

Angela had changed so much since they had met. Being out of her grandmothers confines she was a completely different person. She was right at home and very comfortable aboard the ship. She spoke with the captain daily, in a language that Joaquin had never learned, and was very active in the discussion of the ship and crew. She gathered much information about the pirate crew that had attacked and village and was able to discover that they were not yet as far as their ship had traveled. Word spread of their treachery from all of the crew members that sailed and Joaquin was very surprised to learn just how active and alive piracy still was.

As the voyage began to come to a close and the captain began to speak of coming to port in Spain another change occurred in the young woman. She became reserved and quiet once again. The threat and the fear of her grandmother was still very real and even with all of the places the wicked old woman could be the girl acted as if she were once again a prisoner as they came into the world of her birth. Joaquin could see the fear in her and be believed that she though that they would hand her over to the old woman as soon as she stepped off the ship.

Joaquin tried with all his might to comfort her but there was something in her eyes that told him that the extent of the old woman's tyranny was far greater then he had initially imagined and even though he was putting on a very brave face as they advanced into the noise of the port town the woman could tell that he was feeling as lost and desperate as she was.

There weren't any signs of the old woman's ship in the port that they arrived in but as soon as they came ashore and were able to inquire as to the whereabouts of the ship and crew they were greeted with many stories and fearful encounters of the people. It turned out that the old woman was among one of the most notorious pirates of the Spanish waters. She had for many years before Angela had come into her care and though she had seemed to leave the sea for quite some time as the young woman was being educated as a lady the pirates of the old, wicked woman were still very active and awaiting the return of their captain. She had been seen continuing on to up the coast to France and it was rumored that she had come to port near her home land.


	25. Their Time in Spain

Chapter 25: Their Time in Spain

Angela moved quickly and silently though the small portside city that bordered on her family land, as she inquired about her fathers holdings in the country and the extent of the legal troubles the old woman would run into. It would all turn out in Angela's favor. Her father's estate in Spain was very vast. The land housed many farmers and was occupied by her father's old steward who continued to run the land as his former master had ordered. The great manner house that belonged to the family; the place where Angela had spent much of her childhood and learned everything that her father had to teach her, did now fair as well after the man's sudden death.

The old woman, with her roots deeply planted in France, had come to Sprain shortly after the passing of her daughter and inquired about the estate and what would happen to the property that had been granted to Angela's mother and father as part of the woman's dowry. A large portion of the old woman's fortune had come to her by her husband and when their one and only daughter was born everything had been placed in Angela's mother's name; something that was not common in French or Spanish society, but the father was a forward thinker and a divide between the husband and wife had begun to develop. So all of the property both in Spain and in France, that would have belonged to the old wicked woman was passed down through her daughter and landed in the care of Angela's father, much to the old woman's shock and dismay. The truth would latter come out in a meeting between Angela's father and the old woman and which was later recorded and discovered by Joaquin in the ruins of the manner house that they would visit shortly after their arrival in Spain.

Angela had hired a coach and an entourage to take her up to the property and holdings of her family. She was not at all prepared for what she saw when she arrived at her old home and saw the destruction that had occurred. In that moment, as he stepped from the carriage, Joaquin too felt the sick sinking feeling that he had felt before. There before them stood the ruins of a great manner house, scorched and crumbling, with the absence of a master to rebuild and the growth of several years starting to reclaim the building as its own. The old steward met them at the foot of the stairs that led up to the gaping void that was once the grand entrance of the beloved home of Angela's child hood and in it Joaquin saw his own life and childhood at the destruction of his family hacienda by the same means.

"What happened hear?" Angela asked in shock as tears filled her eyes.

"The house was set ablaze by pirates when you were taken by your grandmother to live in France," the old steward answered.

"By pirates," Joaquin asked.

"It is assumed so yes," the old man answered.

"Was anyone hurt?" Angela asked as she walked through the gaping void and started down the length of the great hall remembering the joyful years of her youth and seeing in the ruins signs of her past. She missed her father immensely in that moment and wanted nothing more then to find him in a part of the house that had been untouched by the destruction, but she knew it was not to be.

"No, no one was in the house when it was set ablaze and the rest of the lands and homes on it were not touched. The farm land has been very prosperous these past years," the man answered, "I believe it has still made you a very rich woman."

"The money is not my concern," Angela said as she began to weep as she walked into her fathers library and saw the ash and dust that had gathered were hundreds of books had resided, "all the proof we would have needed to have any case against the old woman would have been hidden in this room," she whispered through her tears.

"I beg your pardon, miss, but any proof you may now need has been saved," The old man said as he took the young woman's hand, "your father had ordered me to take care of you in any way that I could and he was very concerned about that wicked woman that would ultimately be your guardian should anything happen to him. I was privy to many of your family secrets and the moment the carriages had pulled away, taking you from your home in the wake of your fathers death, I had returned to his library and saved all the document that would been needed. I had only just retrieved them all when the men came to destroy everything," he added.

"You wonderful, kind man," Angela sobbed as she fell into the old gentleman's arms and sobbed more freely.

Joaquin walked the length of the room, feeling uneasy by the girl's grief and not knowing what more he could do, so he examined the space trying to get an idea of what it had once been. The house was obviously very large and very grand. Many people would have resided and gathered in its well furbished halls and salons but this grand library would have been the heart of the great manner and although most seemed destroyed by the fire, there were still signs of the life that had once lived on in this house.

As he walked he searched for anything that may be saved for the woman. The elements had done much to assist where the fire had not been able to finish. The roof was gone from the great room and plants had started to grow up the remains of the walls and bookshelves, but there among the ruins were still signs of books and artifacts that were still salvageable. As he searched he came to the far end of the room and in what had once been a large alcove and bay window, which was now open to the element. In the alcove stood the remains of a large desk where Angela's father would have conducted all of his business. The outside of the desk had been charred black by the fire but there was still the skeleton of the heavy draws and legs that had supported the mass of the desk. Joaquin reached out cautiously and pulled at the desk drawers. At first they did nothing to give way at his gentle force but soon the drawers did open and, to his surprise, the insides were fairly well preserved. In the upper most drawer he found what looked to be a weathered, leather diary. He pulled it from its tomb of a desk and held it gently in his hands.

Angela saw, out of the corner of her eye, what Joaquin had been doing. As he held the diary in his hands she released the old man and walked over to him slowly.

"I can not believe that survived," She whispered as Joaquin went to hand her the diary, "it was my fathers, he wrote in it every day of my life."

"It is fitting then, that it should survive," Joaquin said trying to smile at the woman whom he had come to adore. Her tears broke his heart and he vowed that he would do anything to stop the tides of tears one day.


	26. What the Diary had to Say

Chapter 26: What the Diary had to Say

Later that day, as they returned to the hotel in which Angela had let rooms for them, they sat in a shining parlor and stared at all of the documents that the steward had saved from the house of her youth, but the one item that intrigued them the most was the one that had survived the fire and the destruction of the house.

Angela started tearfully at it as it sat on the table between them, "my father used to say that this would tell me the story of my life," she whispered as she reached out and placed a hand on the diary, "he started writing in it when I was born and continued throughout the remainder of my life. It must not have been visibly important or it too would have been taken when the house was ransacked and torched."

"It will be important to you," Joaquin said as he leaned back in the chair, "perhaps I should give you some time alone with it. It is really all you have left of your father's."

"No," she said as she pushed it across the table, "I am not ready for that yet, it is all just too fresh and frightening. I need to be brave and I need to not show my emotions in the days to come. I want you to read it and if there is anything of importance in it then you may tell me, but if it is just an account of my life, or my life through his eyes, I will read it when we are returned to California."

"You want to return to California," Joaquin asked feeling his heart leap in his chest.

"It has been my plan from the moment we set sail and now that I have seen what is left of the life I once loved, I know that there is nothing here for me but sadness," she said fighting back her tears once again, "we will have to journey on to France, before our stay in this land is over, but yes I need to return to California, if only to make a new life for myself."

"And I will do whatever it takes to take you away from this place of pain as quickly as I can," Joaquin said as he reached across the table and took the diary from Angela.

"I really do hope that there is something in it that will be of use," she said unable to hold her tears back any longer, "I beg you to excuse me," she said and rushed out of the room and into her bed chamber where she remained for the rest of the evening.

Joaquin however did not leave his place at the table. The candles and lamps remained lit as he began the arduous task of reading through a loving father's diary. He learned much in the first parts of the diary of a fathers pride and all the plans that he had developed for his young daughter. He wrote about her birth and how happy he and his wife were to have her. He wrote about protecting her mother and making her happy for the first time in her life. He wrote about the pain of loosing her, about Angela's training in combat, horse back riding, reading and the mastery of disguise. His pride was evident in every page that Joaquin passed through until something disturbing occurred. This is what the diary said:

_My dearest, most precious, Angela,_

_ It gives me great pain to have heard something very disturbing indeed but you will not know of it until you are much older. What I have to say is very frightening, even for me and I fear that someday I will loose you. I have done all that I could to protect you from the evil forces that have been present in our lives and I believe that up until now you have not had any inkling as to the true danger that is resident in your life. My fears are great my child and though they have been so for many years they are coming to a very raw and complicated reality. _

_ My child, when you come to read this I will be gone and I fear that you may never know the real truth but I must tell it and I must make it very clear that I love you with all my heart and I will fight till the bitter end to keep you._

_ My sad story begins with a fear that was very real for your mother. She was a beautiful, gentle woman with a heart not for fighting but for beautiful things and as I sit here tonight I swear to you that all I ever wanted to do was to give her everything that she ever wanted and to put beauty in her world. Sadly we lost her to very real and natural causes and the good Lord shines his face upon her every day._

_ When your mother left us I was visited by her mother, the last remaining relative that we have on her side and much of that woman's character was made known to me. She is a vile, villainous woman of loose morals and absolute greed. She came here looking for what she believed belongs to her and which I have managed to make it absolutely impossible for her to obtain by any legal means. My fear is, however, that she may try and take from us what has become ours and so I have been entitling it away to you upon your coming of age; both this land in Spain and all of the family holdings in France. These lands and the people that live on them will make you a very wealthy woman but it will only be yours when you come of again and at that time, if that vile woman is not dead, I fear she will do all in her power to take it from you. _

_ Even as I write this I believe that she has put into motion a plot to force my hand to release to her the inheritance that is rightfully your. I want you to know that there is no hope for her. I will die before I ever take from you, a kind and righteous young lady, and give to the devil himself. And so my darling one, I have put into motion a series of secrets that will, in time, be made known to you by my very honorable and trusted steward. He is the keeper of my family secrets and the one who, when you come to him asking, will tell you all. There is one thing that I dare not write down, that is the key to everything that may save you and your fortune from that woman and her treachery._

_ My beloved one, I beg that you be strong in these times. I know that you are young and that much will be taken away from you by those whom you may have trusted but I want you to know that there is hope for your future. Find yourself a man, gentle, loving, kind, and grow old with him. He will protect you as I have protected you but he must be trustworthy and not of the greed filled kind._

_ Know that I love you, and that whatever shall occur in my life and yours will never stop me from loving you._

Joaquin finished reading the passage and gasped for air. There was still much of the diary to be read but he had found the importance that was hidden within and yet it was all news that he had already come to know, as did Angela, but the secret that was talked of was baffling. Why hadn't the old man told them about the secret in the first place and why would her father beg her to find a trustworthy gentleman to protect her.

His heart was beating at a frantic pace as he thought about the possibility of being that man. Was he trustworthy, could she see that in him, or could this desperate plea from her father be what would convince her that she should choose him as her future partner?

Joaquin slipped away from the diary and the dinning table for only a moment as he gathered his stationary and began to write a letter to his parents to tell them of his discoveries. He did not give them need to worry or even where they would be able to reach him but he filled in for them some of the blanks that they had already come to be knowledgeable of.


	27. As Morning Breaks

Chapter 27: As Morning Breaks

The remainder of Joaquin's night was spent pondering the contents of the diary and racing through what the man had still to say to his daughter. The entire tone of the old document changed after the letter he had written and yet it was hidden in the depth of the diary so that at a glance anyone who began or finished reading the book would not have found the secret document. He continued to go through the book from cover to cover to see if he could pick up any thing else and although he learned much about the woman that he had come to love, he did not find anything else that would be useful and as he tired his fatigue caught up with him and he slept.

Joaquin stirred as a gentle hand found rest on his shoulder. He had fallen asleep at the table with the diary open and his writing equipment sprawled out around him. Angela had awoken at dawn, she looked beautiful in the soft light that came in through the windows as she looked down at him, concern written all over her face.

"You did not retire last night," she stated questioningly as she looked around him.

"No, I suppose I did not," Joaquin said as he sat up and stretched.

"Then I am assuming it has been an intriguing read for you," she said motioning to the diary.

"It has been," he said as he motioned for her to sit, "there is one thing in particular that I would like to you read through. I will not force you to look into your past and see what you are not ready for, but I think there is something in one of his entries that may help up on our way," he added as he handed the diary to the young woman and watched as she began to read.

Tears welled in her eyes as she read, and Joaquin handed his handkerchief to her to dry her eyes. When she had finished she closed the diary and held it close to her heart. The dust and the soot had turned her hands black and had smudged on the white dressing gown she sported.

"What do you think this secret could be?" she asked after a moment.

"That is something you are going to have to ask the old steward," Joaquin answered, "if you are really ready to know the answer."

"I am ready," Angela said after a long silence, "I want to put an end to that woman's tyranny and I want to finally take what is mine. My father wanted me to be brave, he brought me up to be brave and to be a good judge of character and even though I have not been able to live my life as he would have liked me to, because of my captivity by that woman, I will do so now."

"I admire your strength," Joaquin said as he stood and began to walk about the room, "I do not want to see you fight however and I believe that your father does not want to see that come to fruition, but there is going to be a fight to be had."

"Yes, I believe you are right," Angela said as she followed him with her eyes, "but I am strong, I can handle the fight."

"I know you can," Joaquin said, "I have every faith in your ability and I want you to know that I will be with you every step of the way. It may not be my fight but I shall make it so, if that is what you wish."

"I do," Angela said a gentleness coming into her eyes now, "my father has written that I should be in search of a gentle, kind, trustworthy man and I believe that, that man is you, Joaquin."

"I wish to be that man," Joaquin said gently as he came to her side and kissed her hand.

"Then it shall be you," she smiled as a blush rose in her cheeks, "I do not wish to see you hurt though."

"You know of my secrets and the world I was brought up in. They have become your secrets and I trust you with them explicitly," he said with a smile, "I feel honored to be invited into your secrets."

Angela smiled weakly, "I just don't want to see anyone hurt."

"I do not boast of being immortal I will fight as I have always been taught," Joaquin said, "but if there is a way to avoid a battle I will walk away from it for you."

"Thank you," Angela said, "there has been enough negative in my life, for a very long time. If we can resolve this peacefully and return to California, I wish to do so."

"Then we will," Joaquin said once again and continued his tour of the room.


	28. The Old Steward's Secret

Chapter 28: The Old Steward's Secret

When breakfast was over, Angela ordered the coach to take them once again out to the property of her family and to the house where the steward still lived to this day.  
She dressed in her most expensive and honorably attire making her look like the wealthy woman that would and should be accepting such a fortune. Joaquin too dressed in his high social attire and so they looked very much like the respectable couple that traveled abroad.

The old man greeted them at the gate and led them into the modest little house where he sat them around a smoldering fire and offered them tea. The simplest of offerings for some but it was all that the old man could offer.

"We have come for a secret," Angela said as she held out the diary to the man, "my father writes of a secret that only you can tell us and as I have brought with me a very trustworthy man I believe it is time for you to tell us the secret of my father's wealth."

"It isn't as much a secret of his wealth, but rather a secret that binds the wealth to you," The steward said as he sat down opposite the young woman, "to know this secret is to make a very big decision and before I am to release the secret to you I am instructed to find out one thing from you first."

"I am willing to tell you anything," Angela said desperately.

Joaquin listened silently to the conversation that continued to develop as the old man stole glances at him as he spoke.

"You must answer truly and of the heart my dear. This is something that you will have to live with for the rest of your life," the old man warned.

"I am prepared for anything," Angela answered.

"Very well, my question is a simple one then," the old man said. He then took a deep breath and took one of Angela's hands, "Do you love this man you are with enough that you would marry him?"

Angela gasped at the question and blushing she turned to look at Joaquin, his face had also gone red at the question but a thick silence fell in the room.

"you have not discussed the possibility of marriage?" the old man asked a shocked expression on his face, "you have come traveling with a young man, who is not your husband and am I to assume that you are neither engaged nor betrothed to one another?"

"That is true," Angela said as he eyes fell to the ground in guilt.

"Shocking indeed, but none the less I need an answer, for if you do not give me one, the one I need, then I will not be able to tell you the secret," the old man said.

Angela was silent again for a very long time as she stared at the floor. She thought about all of the things that Joaquin had done for her and in true kindness had never asked for anything in return. She remembered how she had felt when she first arrived and had vowed that he, much like any other suitor would never be accepted, because she believed that her grandmother simply wanted to take the easy way out. But now she was confused. She had come to esteem him in the highest regard and she could not think of herself without him now, but marriage was such a huge commitment, a huge step that she had decided never to take and yet could she risk loosing Joaquin to another when they returned to California.

"Yes, I love him," Angela whispered.

"You do?" Joaquin gasped as he fell to his knees beside her feeling like the wind had been stolen from his lung.

"I do," Angela smiled simply.

"Will you marry him?" the old man asked.

"Yes," Angela said still smiling into Joaquin's kind eyes.

"Then the secret is to be know," the old man said.

Joaquin and Angela turned to look at the old man now, as he walked across the room to a large portrait that hung above the fireplace. He moved the portrait to reveal the bare wall and a tiny hole where the framed portrait was fastened to the wall. The hole was large enough for the man to fit only the very tip of his smallest finger but as he did the muddy stucco that was on the wall began to crack and a panel swung open to reveal a small hiding space. In it lay a bundle of documents wrapped in a leather casing. He pulled them out of the hiding place and handed them to Joaquin before replacing the portrait.

"What are these?" Joaquin asked holding the leather bundle.

"They are the remaining legal documents that had been entrusted to me by my master," the old man said, "the strictest of instructions were given to me with the package. I was only to answer the questions asked if a man of true worth and who was trusted explicitly by the young woman came to claim them."

Angela and Joaquin looked at the leather package but did not speak.

"In there are the documents that must be authorized upon the date of your marriage. They are Angela's dowry documents and they there by put all of her wealth into her name and yours," the old steward stated, "once the documents are turned over to you, Signor de la Vega, the grandmother and guardian will no longer hold any claims to the property in Spain or in France or any of the treasure that are kept for your wife. I suggest that you work swiftly and conclude the business of marriage before the woman comes into Spain again or before you leave to retrieve the holdings in France."

"We will," Angela said as she held the package tightly.

"You're father had great plans for you," the old man smiled, "he would be very proud of the man you have brought to be his son in law."

"If he only knew," Angela whispered to no one but Joaquin.


	29. Made in Hast

Chapter 29: Made in Hast

The time that pasted between the meeting with the Stewart and returning to their lodgings was spent on the land of Angela's childhood and early adulthood. It hadn't been as long as she really believed, but it felt like a life time had passed since she had been in the house and among the grounds of her family estate. While her father and mother were alive she had a very easy and happy childhood. The house was filled with love and laughter and the old woman did not come near them. She had been forbidden by the Angela's father who knew her secrets and who protected the two women in his life. Angela could feel her father's strength and power as she watched and listened to the people who had once worked for him. He was a good man, but now he was gone and so was nearly everything that could stand for the great man that he was. While the light was still with them, Joaquin and Angela continued to peruse the destruction of the Fathers land. Angela for the memories and Joaquin for the strength and knowledge of a man he had never known but could feel in the presence of the house and the woman he loved.

In the space that surrounded the estate land; all of which was left to Angela, she found the remains of a happy childhood. Much of the woods and the gardens had not been touched by the wicked old woman and her pirates but they had been left unattended and in much need of tender love of someone that knew what the gardens and the trees needed. So Angela took to the old familiar paths and walk ways to try and make sense of everything that had happened in the past few days.

Everything was happening so quickly and yet the events that were to take place had been unknowingly put into action by the old woman herself. It seemed, to Angela, that even though she had tried so hard to resist the efforts of the old woman, everything had fallen into place as her father had planned and yet there was still something very sinister waiting for her in France. The warning and the tails were alive again in Angela's mind as she had found them in the writings of her father's journal. There, among the pages of his happiness, she found the answers too many of her own questions and now, with the understanding of his secrets, she could make more sense of the things he had written. The journal was a list of instructions and dreams he had carried through his life for her and one of the very clear dreams was her happiness. She hoped she would find it and hoped that everything her father had done for her would soon lead to an end that would allow her to be happy. The journal had become a cherished piece of her life that she never knew she would have.

Joaquin had left the young woman to her own thoughts as they returned from the old Steward's home; on Angela's estate and returned to the distractions of the destroyed manner house. His mind was in a million places. As Angela disappeared into the greenery of the gardens Joaquin ventured inside once again to access the damage of the house. All at once the grandeur of the promise he had made to Angela came in around him as he walked through the old scorched mansion. It was once a beautiful home, he could tell by the regal nature of the stone walls and the blackened marble floors. It was a grand home and could be grand once again but it would take a lot of work to bring it back into its glory, which in turn would mean much more time spent in Spain then Joaquin anticipated.

He was in love with Angela and he wanted to marry her but he was not sure if this was the life he wanted. He worried that there would be too much for him to deal with in Spain and soon in France to allow him to ever return to his family and friends in California. Would he ever see his home land again or was this it for him. The more time Angela spent in Spain the more she seemed to be comfortable with it and so Joaquin had to come to terms with what may become of his and his father's legacy. Would Zorro die away in California because his father no longer had his son to take over when the time came that he could no longer proceed through with his obligations or was there still time for Alejandro to find someone to take on as a protégé? He wondered what would happen to him in this new roll as gentleman and land owner. Would he just live out his life as a lazy young man and never put to use the training and the teachings of his father? These realizations and question plagued Joaquin as he continued through the old house.

What Joaquin did not know was that Angela was pondering the same questions and what such a secret as Joaquin's and the De La Vega family would mean for her future. She was a strong woman, trained in combat and ready to stand by Joaquin through whatever may come to them in the old world but would she be able to see a life of the secret world? There had been so many secrets in her life and she had made for herself her own persona. Her father had put in many hours toward her own training and she was not a woman like many others. She knew how to fight like a man, she was agile and swift and was longing for the action and adventure that she once dreamed about; but here she was on the verge of marriage and her obligations as a wife. Would she ever be the woman that she knew she was, or would she have to be the lady that her grand mother had forced her to be? She worried that what Joaquin wanted and what she really was, was not going to fall into her idea of what life, and freedom, were meant to be for her.

Joaquin and Angela had made a promise to each other, in great hast, but was it really what either of them wanted? Did they know enough about each other, outside of the secrets that they now shared to be happy and prosperous together? Was the adventure of their life time, the excitement of their youth and their training gone forever or was this to become the beginning of the greatest adventure that either one of them could imagine? Danger lurked around every corner but how to deal with it was yet to be discovered.


	30. A Promise to the Land

Chapter 30: A Promise to the Land

As darkness began to fall and the carriage that had brought them out to the estate returned, Joaquin found Angela in a garden so badly overgrown he could hardly make out that it had once been a beautifully manicured rose garden. The smell of the roses in full bloom was all that gave away the garden's secrets as the ivy and the weeds had grown up among the roses to hide them from plain sight.

Angela was seated near a large rock boarder and was struggling with the thorns of the roses that choked at each other and tearing at the weeds that grew among them. Tears stained her face as the moonlight began to light the lost garden and a secret that she didn't even know she was revealing.

"What has happened?" Joaquin asked seeing the blood on Angela's hands and feeling panicked by the sight.

"I am alright," Angela said a little startled by Joaquin's presence and her lack of composure.

"What are you doing out hear all alone and in such a state as this?" Joaquin asked.

"I couldn't help myself," Angela said as she took Joaquin's hand and he helped her up, "this was my mothers rose garden. It was her pride and joy. She loved it so dearly and as such it was a great gathering place for our family. My fondest memories of my mother and my father are here and now look at it," she said as she began to sob, "I could handle the sight of the house but not this, and not the reminder of what happened to your home and your mothers garden because of me."

"You need not worry," Joaquin said as he tried to smile, "we'll hire someone to come out here and tend to the gardens and refurbish the house. It will be as you remembered it soon enough. As for my mother's gardens, once the hacienda and the village are well on their way to recovery, so too will the gardens and my mother's busy work within them."

"I didn't think I wanted that," Angela said as she looked into Joaquin's eyes, "there were so many bad memories here that the thought of returning was terrifying but now that I am here it is just too heart breaking to see it this way," she said, "all of my good memories are here as well and although I lost both of my parents in this house and was torn from in by my evil grandmother, deep in my heart I want to remember it as it once was. I need to see it again and push from my mind the dark memories. It has been so much to bear in such a short period of time."

"You won't have to bear it much longer," Joaquin said sadly as he led her to the awaiting carriage.

"But I can see the sadness in you Joaquin," Angela said as she sat down opposite to him in the carriage, "this place has affected you in much the same way it has affected me. What has happened that you should be so saddened by it? What is bothering you?" she asked.

"I have a lot of questions," Joaquin sighed, "the beginning of this year had started like many others in my life but I have had to grow up very quickly. If you would have asked me where I would be now, when my year of carelessness had started, I would have told you, with a laugh that I would be working for my father. I would have never dreamed I'd be here, at such a crossroads. I have made a promise to you and I will keep it because I do love you. We have a lot; however, to deal with and at this time I do not know how we can both be completely happy."

"I have been thinking the same thing and with France looming over us like a dark cloud, I am afraid to think of much else," Angela said, "I am beginning to feel like we should have never come here," she added sadly.

"We had too," Joaquin said as he reached across the carriage and took her hand, "I could never let that woman get away with what she had done to you nor could my family rest for the horrors that were done to the people of our city. This journey together is our destiny, what happens next we will leave to love and chance."

"And I do love you Joaquin," Angela said with tears in her eyes.

"I know you do," Joaquin smiled, "or you would never have agreed with the Stewart. You told me once to my face that you would not marry on account of your grandmother and I believe that did break my heart. It is a happy misfortune indeed that you should have to marry to be free of the vile old woman."

"Yes it is quite the turn of fate," Angela laughed despite her sorrow, "but what other sorrows are to follow us into another life time?" she asked.

"We will have to wait and see," Joaquin sighed.

"Our return to California will be a surprise," Angela said trying to lighten the mood, "do you think your parents would expect anything of this sort?"

"Our return," Joaquin asked a little shocked by her remark.

"I know that you must return Joaquin, it is your legend and legacy, and it is what you were brought up for and live for. To be Zorro is who you are and I vow to keep that secret and take it to the grave with me, if you will allow me to stand by your side through it all," Angela said, "you know I am capable of more than the old woman would lead you to believe. I am a warrior; much like you. I'm worried that by marrying I will not be able to be what my father had wished me to be. I am a soldier of good and protector of the weak. You much understand that I must stand beside you or you do what that woman had wanted and I will never be free. I must be a mistress to the night, much as Zorro is the master of that realm."

"I could never stop your own destiny, even if I tried," Joaquin said a bit surprised, "my mother was once the one to try and stop her own destiny but she knows it is what we live for and what we are cursed to carry through life. You must understand, however, that there is no escaping this life if in turn you wish to leave it."

"I wouldn't wish it, the people need our help and justice must be served," Angela said bravely.

"But you don't want to stay here?" Joaquin asked.

"No," Angela answered, "I would like to visit and we will have to with the estates being fully under our control but I am not happy here and I have seen much happier and free times in California. I would like to make that land my home," she said.

"Then, in that case, I will take you to the ends of the earth with me, as my wife and the keeper of my secrets. You will be to me what my mother is to my father; my companion and my partner. Our life will always be dangerous and there will be days when I will need you to fight by my side, but we will survive it all, together, as one," He said as he kissed her hand.

"And what of our return," Angela giggled, "will they expect to see us as man and wife; do they even believe I will return with you?"

"I do believe our return to California will be quite a shock," Joaquin laughed.

"I have a knack for bringing drama to every place I go," Angela smiled.


	31. The Secret Continues

Chapter 31: The Secrets Continue

The wedding was a very quick and secretive event. No new wedding cloths were purchased until after the ceremony happened. It happened by moonlight in the court yard of the old church that stood on the estate. Angela had grown up in that parish, had sat in the pews and had watched the workers come and go and give thanks to her father and what he stood for. It was the perfect place in the quiet secret solitude to have the ceremony. It was symbolic of the things to come for them and who they really were. Joaquin was a brave but secretive man who would live his life in double like his father. The only people to know this would be his wife and perhaps his enemies that may some day figure out his secret. Angela knew the dangers; they had been near to her all of her life because secrets had been her father's life as well. She was ready to stand by him through whatever would come their way.

Angela looked beautiful in the moonlight with Joaquin at her side. He looked very much the part of the young gentleman he had become. The wedding ceremony, though nerves were very high on both sides, was the easiest part of the whole ordeal. There was a genuine love from both members here and so to repeat a pledge to one another, which had already been voiced between them in secret was simply said and bound with a kiss. Within moments it was over. Joaquin had kissed his bride and the newly weds were whisked off for more tedious paper work. The legalities of the father's estate were to be taken care of and by the morning preceding the wedding and the proof of the unions consummation neatly packed away, Joaquin and Angela embarked on the task of becoming sole proprietors of the estates in Spain and in France.

In the day that proceeded the wedding night Joaquin was greeted by the Stewart whom Angela's fortune and dowry had been entrusted and they began the long task of sorting through the legalities. This man had also been given the instructions to help the new Master of the land and its serfs to become acquainted and legally the partnership was forged for the continued productivity of their lands.

Angela remained behind to rest as Joaquin conducted the better half of their newly acquired work. She had been anticipating the events of her wedding since she was a little girl but it wasn't until later in life, as she vowed against her grandmother to never marry, that she found out what would truly happen to her within the first days of her marriage. As swiftly as the marriage had taken place the advisors to the estate had voiced their opinions on the severity of the swiftness to follow. Joaquin and Angela would have to consummate their marriage for proof of their binding vows. Angela did not have time to fear what was to become of her or to think of what this all meant. The couple was taken directly to their lodgings to conduct the final tasks in private. Once alone in their apartment and they looked at one another and Joaquin realized just how young and inexperienced they both were but he knew what had to be done and with a gentleness he had never known in himself before he bedded his new wife and completed the tasked that had been put before him. When it had ended and the tears had dried the vowed that the actions of their love would never have to be this swift again and though the pain Angela had felt was great she knew that her husband was a gentleman and she, in that moment, wanted nothing more than to be with him and please him as a wife should.

In the process Joaquin was adamant that the Spanish estate and gardens be restored. He went out to the land, met with all of the surrounding land owners and the workers that now fell under his control. When Angela was recovered she joined her husband on their land and with their workers, many of which had been apart of her family land for generations and whom she recognized as older forms of the playmates she had once known. Their number one priority was the restoration and safety of their new family and the families that continued to work for them. Joaquin wanted very much to leave Spain better than they had found it because he knew that trouble awaited them in France.


	32. Embarking

Chapter 32: Embarking

Joaquin worked hard to build his reputation. His time in Spain was spent on the farms and in the workshops that lived, scattered, on his new land. The people that were under his protection became very interested in their new master and the ways in which he worked. The man who had once been their master was a good and truthful man. He was kind to the worker, gave them fair wages and made plans to better their lives as well as his own, but he had never come down to their level. Joaquin on the other hand was ready and willing to roll up his sleeves and see first hand what was going on in his farms. He helped them with the first spring sowing season. He watched as the new cattle was birthed and became very familiar with the workings of his trades men and spinners.

For Joaquin this adventure in economics wasn't anything new. He had followed his father for most of his childhood as Alejandro worked with his farmers. He had been present on cattle runs and in the Blacksmith's workshops when forging and shaping of tools was being done for the next year. This was however, the first time he would go out on his own without his father and though, when Angela was well enough and very much recovered from the wedding night, she was with him but she also attended to the works of the women. She spun wool with them and baked at their scorching ovens and did not complain. It had never been apart of her life to get this down and dirty with the people but she knew that it was something she would take away and keep close to her heart. Joaquin had told her, very early in their marriage, that to be apart of what his family does they must understand why their peasant class needs their help and protection and no sooner had he said this he began his campaign with the workers he now owned.

Angela took great pleasure in working with her husband. Many hours were spent on the estate and it didn't take long for them to become well established and the renovations of the scorched manner house commenced. Angela worked diligently with the gardeners when she wasn't on the farms with her workers and Joaquin spent a lot of his time working to reestablish his newly acquired Spanish home. He would never see this place as his home land but he would be willing to make trips to Spain with his wife if it meant staying here in this wondrous place.

Joaquin, in his spare time, took on another task that he saw as his duty. He began researching and studying the old woman and her movements around the world. He uncovered many archived documents on pirate attacks and pirates ships that were usually seen in Spain. He spoke with law men, looking into allegations against her and familiarized himself with all of the charges, and eye witnesses, that would help to bring the woman down. The more he studied the more the horrors of the old woman were revealed to him and with his new knowledge came an ever growing want to see the old woman put to justice. She was a vile and malicious woman that didn't have any respect for life but her own. She had to be made accountable for her treachery.

Once the work was well on their way, the spring was fading into the heat of the summer months and the house and gardens were beginning to look as they once had Joaquin and Angela began to discuss their departure to the next country on their journey. Joaquin was very pleased and convinced that all the work that needed to be done for them was well on its way and he trusted that all plans would continue on with the guidance of his Stewart who would be left in charge of the remaining work. Angela agreed that the time had come to continue on; they had no reason to prolong their stay with the task at hand. Joaquin had arranged everything, talked to the right authorities and claimed for them the help they would need. It was time to move forward.

With heavy hearts and troubled minds the newlyweds left Spain. They had spent a lot of time in Spain but with every passing day and task that was finished Joaquin got more and more anxious to leave. Angela said she was ready to embark but the more time that passed the more she seemed to become accustom to where she was and Joaquin began to believe that he wouldn't be able to make her leave. But when the time came she went and with a determination that Joaquin was surprised to see. She was ready to confront the old woman.

They did not travel lightly as they made their way to France. Joaquin had planned the journey well and had put a lot of his plans in action before they left Spain. The pirates that sailed the waters of the continent were known and being searched for but the woman who had been their ruler was not known until Joaquin had come and made his case to the authorities. By this action the authorities worked both in Spain and in France by Joaquin's side. Much was also done to send word ahead of their coming into France; accommodations were made and were ready for their arrival and they arrived in great grandeur, but still with a sense of reserve. With the wedding came great wealth and as such a kind of freedom to move around and bring attention to themselves but at the same time, Joaquin had grown up in secrets and knew how to hide certain things and that is why when they arrived in France they were admitted into high society and yet word did not reach the pirates or the grandmother of their arrival.


	33. The Final Flight

Chapter 33: The Final Flight

For the first week of their stay the newlyweds kept a low profile, in preparation for what they were convinced would be a very ugly encounter. Legally the property where they believed they would find the woman was no longer available to her and as far as Joaquin and Angela were concerned the old woman was trespassing and she deserved to reap the rewards of her treachery. They stayed out of the society as they came into the village where the estate was and worked in secret with authorities to ascertain whether or not the woman was present in the manner or if she was at sea. When word came that she had been spotted recently in the village and that there had been no sight of the ship in the port recently, Joaquin put into motion the plans that he had made. More and more armed men entered the village before Joaquin and Angela made the next steps toward their ultimate goal.

Joaquin had done all in his power to learn the woman's history and the things that she found out were horrendous. She had always been a pirate; her crew and her ship were very well known and were notorious for their miraculous escapes and villainous woman captain. She was a skilled fighter and wicked, deceitful, seductress. She had been working toward a life of riches and social rank all through her life of crime. When she was in her late twenties she met her first and only husband and at the time of her marriage she tried with all her might to walk the straight and narrow path. She became obsessed with propriety and character, she lied to hide her past and learned everything she could to act the part of a true lady. When her first and only child was born she swore off the sea and yet the ship and crew sought her out. When her husband died she was not left with the fortune or the society she had hoped for and she turned back to her life on the waves. The child was left to the safety and keeping of the well established governesses and educational masters that her father had arranged for her and the estate was placed in the girl's name. When the daughter had married Angela's father and left with him for Spain the old woman hadn't been seen for many years and it wasn't until her return that she learned of her daughter's marriage and newfound fortunes. By this time the woman had lost all ties to the fortunes of her husband and daughter and now her son in law worked against her to keep everything away from a woman with a wicked past. Hope was restored when her daughter and her husband died and the estates were all left to Angela and as the only living relative all care of the young woman was placed on this wicked old woman and though there were many legalities between her and true, saving fortune, the woman had hope. Her hope was now to be destroyed as the woman's villainy was know and despised by her granddaughter and Joaquin.

When the day finally arrived to make their presence known and begin the events of selling off the property and settling land claims, Joaquin and Angela and a small army of heavily armed men set off for the estate. Everything was set into motion for the old woman to be caught completely off guard. She would never expect the event nor the eviction from the home she believed was and would forever more be her own.

The old woman met them at the entrance to the house, shock and dismay written all over her face. The estate wasn't a large one but it was centrally located close to the harbor and secluded enough from the main roads that no one would know what was happening there, but the old woman had a reputation and the villagers were very frightened of her.

Joaquin stepped out of the carriage first and reached in for his new Wife. They were both dressed in high society, new fashions and were very impressive to behold. Joaquin had a new world charm that followed him into the old world and Angela looked very much the part of a very traditional, very wealthy French Madame. The carriages that began to empty, that had followed them, were filled with lawyers, their newly acquired steward, and translators in the event there would be resistance from the French housekeeping staff. There luggage followed in wagons and their armed guards dismounted their horses as the old woman rushed toward them.

"How dare you show your face here," the old woman hissed at Joaquin.

"How dare I?" Joaquin asked as he looked from Angela to the lawyers and his steward, "as the new master of this land, I may do whatever I dare, and as I believe it has caused me very little inconvenience and it is the will of my beloved wife that we seek you out and claim what is ours, we hastened here. I believe it will cause you much more inconvenience then it does us."

"You may move our things into the house," Angela said to the servants that remained standing by, "and tell the housekeeper that her old mistress has been replaced by a new one that would like to address the way this house is run."

"You may not!" the old woman yelled

"Actually Madame, by order of the last will and testament of your son in law, this house belongs to senor and senora De La Vega. You have no legal claims to this land any longer," the lawyer said stepping forward and presenting the woman with the legal documentation.

"You may carry on as Madame De La Vega has ordered," Joaquin said as he took his wife by the hand her walked pasted the old woman and into the house.

"You can't do this to me," the woman hissed and stepped in front of them.

"I believe that I can," Joaquin boasted as the armed guard stepped in around them.

"You foppish you man!" the woman hissed, "you know of my powerful reach you cannot defeat me with a few armed men."

"No?" Joaquin asked, "I may not have the men, at present, to defeat your pirate crew but I do believe I have the law and my own fortitude to defeat an aging, corrupt, wicked woman, such as you."

"I know your secret Senor," the woman smiled wickedly.

"as I know your," Joaquin said and motioned for the woman to take a seat and the armed guard closed in around her, "I will have you know I am prepared to fight you and so is my wife; if you do not cooperate," he added, "at this moment the navy both in Spain and in England are on the hunt for your ship and the ports in France are also closed to you. Every last man on that ship will be arrested and tried for their crimes against the previously mentioned countries as well as those against Mexico, the United States and especially California; that is of course if they make it to port. Word has gone out to sink the ship at any cost. It is quite impossible for them to come to you're aid."

"In other word we are not concerned by your pirates, Madame," Angela smiled.

"As for you, the charges against you are extensive indeed, and I have made you my own personal project. I have made it my concern to know everything about you and all that you have done. I have found out much, and when I am finished with you and my Stewart and lawyers have explained the extent of my wife's dowry and my new claims to this land and that in Spain you will be taken into custody by these men. You will be tried and sentenced and will never terrorize any of us ever again. Do you understand what I am telling you," Joaquin asked.

"You would be better off killing me," the woman cried and with swiftness like a cat she drew her sword and lunged at Joaquin in desperation.

The young man counter attacked with a semi pirouette which stole the woman's sword from her and gave Joaquin the advantage. As she rallied, she tried to run but was met by yet another blade in her way; this belonged to Angela who for the first time in her life towered over the old woman without fear in her eyes. This bustle stole the attention of the guards and before the woman could act any further she was completely surrounded and the battle was ended much faster than was ever anticipated.

"You refuse to cooperate in a gentile manner and so I have no choice but to have you removed from this house and taken in by the proper authorities," Joaquin said, "my lawyers and those of the countries to which you have pillaged and plundered will be visiting you as well, but because of your hastiness you will have the uncomfortable visits in a much more uncomfortable place," he added and with a nod more men filed into the house with the chief in charge of the guard. The old woman was arrested and taken away screaming the name of Zorro to many men who did not know the legend.


	34. Why They Stayed

Chapter 34: Why They Stayed

Though the encounter with the old woman did not erupt as had been anticipated, Joaquin and Angela were not completely safe in France, but they dealt with the renegade men that came in search of revenge for their captain; those few who had not been to sea for many years but that had remained very loyal to their once youthful captain.

The full force of the pirate's wrath was never faced. The ship was sunk in the English Channel as it tried to escape the Royal Navy and the French warships that had gone out in search of them. Many men died and those that were not killed were taken as prisoners and tried in their own respective countries for many, many crimes.

Joaquin, while in Europe never once had to use the disguise of his father's legend but he knew that his training, his father's calculating ways and his gentleman's education were what helped him through his tasks. He did, once the journey began to calm down, continue with his training; always fencing, doing acrobatics and sparing with his lovely wife, who showed very extreme ability and technique that impressed even Joaquin. He was calm, cool and collected through all of his travels abroad and he was proud of the way things finally came together. All that remained for him was the return to California with his bride.

As for the old woman, she was charged on multiple accounts and as the trial drew on, more and more crimes came into the light by Joaquin's research and testimony. She had made several failed attempts at escaping the prison when she was being held but to no avail. When word of her ships sinking reached her, she all but gave up and accepted the verdict with a smug smile. She was hanged and died for her crimes without a member of her family or a friend to her name.

The estate in France was sold and returned to the honorable use of the people of that country. A sigh of relief rose from the village when the news of her eviction and conviction reached them. By the time the new masters came into their new estate the roads were clear and a sense of curiosity had sprung up around the building and the grounds. A new life was breathed into an estate that had held a horrific history.

Joaquin and Angela returned to the estate in Spain to over see the rebuilding of the manner house and cleaning of the lands. Under Joaquin's kind guidance and general experience as the son of a land owner he revolutionized the way the people worked and were treated on his land. Happiness was everywhere on the estate and beauty came back to it as every inch was rediscovered. Joaquin and Angela set up their house in Spain and spent much of their first year of marriage in it returning it to Angela's memory as a place of happiness.

Their departure from the continent was delayed by a blessed event in Joaquin's life as Angela bestowed upon him their first child. A girl they named Maria, because of the joy that she brought to the small family, and for whom a new legacy had been born. Joaquin knew that by the strength of is wife and his own legend there would always be a protector of their country and their home.


	35. Epilogue

Chapter 35: Epilogue

As time changed the ideas and the problems of California began to change. The legacy of Zorro changed from a protector of a people to the protector of a state and a fighter for justice for the poor and the lowly. Alejandro De La Vega would always be a busy man until he would be able to hand over his crusade to his son.

In the years of Joaquin's absence, much had happened, many battles and adventure that belong in other stories and many other interpretations but the one thing that went smoothly was the rebuilding and the settling into a new place and time in their lives. Elena and Alejandro missed their son, but did not have time to dwell on the loss. Their hope was always with them that he would return. Statehood and the loyalty of the farmers that worked for Alejandro made him a very rich man, more so than he was before, and Joaquin's inheritance was quite substantial without all of his holdings in Spain. A second house and more land had been acquired and made ready for the day when Joaquin would return and would be able to come back to the De La Vega land and live with his family and to continue to raise his own.

In the letters that arrived from the old world Alejandro and Elena knew of the events that had taken place. Great joy and festivities were celebrated in California with the news of Joaquin's marriage and the desire of the parents was echoed in their own letters to accept the newlyweds into their home but no promises had been made and this left Alejandro and Elena in a constant state of anticipation.

One day, as summer began to scorch the lands of California a very smart and modern carriage rolled up the long gravel drive that led into the newly established hacienda. The house stood proudly and beautifully among the gardens and the fields of the De La Vega land and exuded confidence and prosperity in the summer sun. The sea air floated on the breeze that captivated the colourful landscape and all around men, women and children worked in harmony as if nothing had ever happened to destroy their way of life.

Elena rushed from the covered terrace of the refurbished home, which was surrounded by roses of all shapes and sizes, and out into the paddock that stood as a greeting to any visitors. The carriage stopped before her as the footman stepped down and opened the door. The livery of the arriving guest was very regal and mimicked the trends that were popping up in Spain and the rest of Europe.

A man stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the hacienda and miles of farmland that stretched out before him. There he stood no longer a boy, but a man with every resemblance of the son that Elena had missed for so many months. Joaquin smiled as he reached out and took his mother into his arms. She wept tears of joy to hold her son once again and then came the surprise that Angela had hoped for. Joaquin turned back to the carriage and assisted his wife out of it. In her arms, Angela carried the baby that had not yet been announced to the awaiting in laws.

Tears rose up, once again, in Elena's eyes as the child was placed in her arms and Alejandro joined them from the dark shadows of the house. He gazed at his son and the woman whom he had known and saw that the secret lived on in the both of them. The baby girl was silent in her grandmother's arms but her eyes were bright and attentive. She looked all around with a strange knowledgeable smile on her face. The legend and the legacy were to continue and pride for his family swept over Alejandro De La Vega. A new beginning and a constant ending washed over them all as they welcomed each other back into life in California.

Zorro lived on in the baby Maria De La Vega. She became as much the warrior and protector as those who proceeded her in California and though there was always a man and a mask there was also always a woman in the shadows leading the charge and keeping the peace, but that is another story for another time and another teller.

The End


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